Whether you are getting in shape for the first time or training for a triathlon, taking spinning classes is a great option for anyone looking for an effective and fun way to exercise. Lessons are available for all skill levels, and have become hugely popular in the United States and abroad ever since its inception in 1989. While it is essentially just interval training on an exercise bike, the unique environment that a spinning class provides is its main appeal. If you still have not tried it out, here are three more reasons why spinning is a great activity to add to your exercise routine.
1. It is a low impact activity. Because the bike bears the weight of your body, and pedaling is such a fluid motion, cycling can be a good alternative for people with injuries who have to avoid high-impact activities like running, steps classes, and some weight lifting exercises. Although an instructor leads you through a simulated course by calling out the advised speed and the size of hills that you visualize, you control the true resistance of the exercise bike.
2. The group environment. Class sizes often range from ten to thirty people at a time. If you are a social person, working out with others with an enthusiastic instructor and motivating music can help you push yourself while enjoying the activity even more. The time before and after class may give you a chance to strike up a conversation with that cute guy or girl you have seen around the gym.
3. It is a safe and healthy exercise. Aerobic exercise is healthy for your cardiovascular system and burns calories. Working out on an exercise bike can burn from four hundred to six hundred calories per forty-five minute session, depending on the intensity of the class and the effort you exert. It also gets your heart pumping, and class participants often set their goals based on a desired heart rate. Indoor cycling is a great workout for your legs (quadriceps specifically), as well as your abs and core muscles with the proper instruction.
Like many things, a good variety is important, and this stands for your exercise regiment as well. Taking up spinning classes in addition to other exercises and activities is the best way to benefit from your efforts, and to prevent the injuries and monotony that put an end to most peoples’ exercise routines.