If you’ve been looking for an intense new way to exercise or follow the current fitness trends, you may have seen different types of spin classes taking over social media and popular fitness bloggers accounts. The indoor cycling experience offers a cardio heavy workout experience that gives you real results from real action. You work for what you get — and feel better, more accomplished, and proud of yourself after completing a class. There’s a reason that the different types of spin classes have become so popular. Whether you take a regular spin class workout, full body spin classes, or classes that combine cycling with another type of exercise (like yoga), you’ll see an improvement in your personal health and maybe find a fun new hobby with your friends or significant other.
What Is Spinning Exactly?
Spinning is also called indoor cycling, which is a bit more descriptive. It’s offered at gyms or fitness clubs, though recently spaces dedicated to just spinning have begun to open up. Spinning is a group workout class on stationary exercise bikes. Classes generally last from a half hour to almost an hour and a half and are led by instructors who tailor the classes depending on their specialty. Most classes will have a warm up and a cool down besides the main class.
For some people, working out in a group can be a more powerful motivator — it encourages them to get out to classes and keeps them focused during the workout. Spinning is also fun because you can do it with others — it’s not a solitary exercise.
Why Are Spin Classes Good For You?
It’s well known that as a country, we don’t get enough exercise. Under 5% of adults get 30 minute of physical activity every day and only one in three adults participate in the suggested amount of physical activity in a week’s span. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that we should be getting a half hour of moderate intensity exercise five times a week or intense cardio exercise for 20 minutes a day three times a week, but most of us fail to meet those standards, which is a pity, seeing as diet and exercise have a huge impact on how healthy we are.
Cycling is a great way to help us incorporate exercise into our days — and spin classes provide a fun way to do so! According to research, cycling for a half hour a day will burn almost 11 pounds of fat over a year’s time. If you cycle at a speed of 10 miles per hour can help you burn 260 calories in an hour and research from Finland showed that those who cycled for over 30 minutes a day had 40% lower chance of developing diabetes.
Furthermore, studies showed that cycling a minimum of three times a week helps stimulate dopamine production, boosting energy levels by 20% and cutting down fatigue by as much as 65%. You’re sure to see the results of your exercise — both physically and mentally — if you do it consistently, and may feel more confident, attractive, and gain a mental toughness from pushing through tough classes.
What are the Different Types of Spin Classes?
There are virtually unlimited options when it comes to the different types of spin classes. Instructors are constantly coming up with new and varied spin classes to challenge members. Some of the most popular types of spin classes are fusion classes or full body classes — those that don’t just challenge your legs, but that also include working out your upper body and core as well.
Others enjoy a more traditional spin class where you stay on your bike the entire time, but that focuses on meeting the speed and resistance that the instructor is calling out to the group.
If you’re interested in trying out spin classes, check and see what’s near you. You may find that you gravitate towards a specific type of spin class, but there’s plenty of variety if you start feeling bored or want to try something new!