Start
Screaming for Spinning – Part One
By Megan Thow Translated
by Ann Lee
When I first joined a gym, I was
very timid when it came to trying new classes.
I felt awkward walking into an aerobics studio
and joining in on a routine, so I stuck to the
treadmill and stair-climbers. However, when I
started to exercise with a friend who was more
ambitious than me, she suggested trying a Spinning
class as she heard it was a great workout and
burned a lot of calories.
She practically dragged me into
that first class, but she was right—it was
great exercise and it was a lot of fun.
"For those who are participating in the Spinning
class for the first time, my suggestion is to
bring a cheerful and enthusiastic mood into the
classroom," says instructor Chris Yang. "Allow
yourself to sweat and scream because Spinning
is a simple indoor cycling sport that you can
adjust to your own intensity."
Spinning is an indoor aerobic
conditioning program that uses stationary exercise
bikes. However, it differs from riding a stationary
bicycle in that it is an imitation of outdoor
mountain bike riding and the riders' pace is constantly
changing. The charismatic instructors and the
energetic music encourage the class to push themselves
to the limit.
"During Spinning class, students need to
alter their riding positions and adjust their
pedaling speeds," says Yang, who has been
Spinning for five years and teaching for three.
"When riding a stationary bike, riders are
usually in one fixed position."
Spinning also differs from other group exercise
classes because it is a high-intensity interval
class.
"Training like this has been
shown to burn fat for 24 to 48 hours post exercise,"
notes Jimmy Smith, a certified strength and conditioning
specialist who has been involved with fitness
training for about five years.
Also, for someone as uncoordinated
as I am, it is as easy as, well, riding a bike.
"Students who participate in this sport can
adapt quickly with the rest of the group, so there
won't be any coordination problems, which often
causes frustration. Everyone can feel a sense
of achievement after a Spinning workout,"
adds Jimmy.
To find out more about the benefits of Spinning,
the calories burned and how to begin, please return
next month. Thanks to the World Gym for offering
such a great variety of Spinning classes and allowing
us to take photographs of their facilities. |