Cycling is perhaps among the best hobbies to develop, either as a pastime or as an exercise. Apart from being a great stress buster, it helps burn some serious calories as well. Not to mention that it helps to strengthen those core muscles that are so very important for overall strength and fitness. However, a few issues like road safety, lack of open spaces, bad roads, bad weather and lack of time are among a few reasons why people find it difficult to indulge in cycling as a regular activity.
However, there is a solution- spinning. Spinning is a name given to the process of riding stationary bikes in an enclosed environment- a solution to all those issues we spoke about earlier. Spin classes are classes where groups of multiple people come together to exercise (spin) on spin bikes with similar routines and intervals. Spin classes typically last 30-60 minutes and are run with various routines of different intensities, resistance, and rest.
The following are a few reasons why you need to try a spin class.
1. It Helps Burn Calories:
The first and foremost reason to try out a spin class is that it is a very efficient calorie burning session. Spin classes are based on interval training, also called tabata or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This means that the intensity, duration and rest periods during the course of the class are planned in such a way that the body is forced to exert itself to its limits and this causes the consumption of a lot of energy which is provided for by burning the fat to convert it to calories.
A spin class of about 60 minutes duration can help you burn up to 640 calories depending upon your weight and the intensity of the class, which makes it an extremely appealing exercise for those seeking weight loss!
2. It Helps Build Muscle:
A spin class may help you bulk up a lot more than you thought possible. Since a spin class, as mentioned above employs the rules of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), it engages the fast twitch muscle fibers in the lower body. The fast twitch fibers are responsible for the explosive strength that is required for the body to perform this taxing exercise.
Incidentally, unlike slow- twitch muscle fibers, these fast twitch muscle fibers are the same fibers which are targeted by lifting heavy weights. This means that apart from losing weight and gaining definition of muscles, you also get to increase their size! This is effectively the dream exercise for any body builder- which helps to lose fat while gaining muscle at the same time!
3. It Gives You Healthy Heart:
A spin class will give your heart an amazing workout as well. Spin classes are specifically designed to keep your heart rate well above normal levels during the entirety of the workout. This makes it a wonderful aerobic exercise which helps to increase lung capacity, burn calories and increase endurance.
Apart from this, it also helps improve circulation to all the parts of the body, which is essential to reduce the load on the heart.
4. It Improves Posture and Strength:
Spinning is an ideal way to improve your core strength. A proper spinning instructor will coach you on the best posture to use while spinning to ensure maximal output, optimal lung capacity and minimize injuries. When performed with a proper posture, spinning directly engages the core muscles, which are the thighs, abs, laterals, lower back, and upper back. This, in turn, causes them to become stronger and enables them to maintain proper posture even out of the class.
The core muscles also play a major role in providing strength for real-world activities and result in improved performance overall in sports and other activities that involve physical engagement, which makes attending a spin class even more attractive.
5. It Is A Low- Impact Exercise:
Spinning is extremely easy on the joints, ligaments, and muscles of the legs, knees, and back. Compared to most other exercises, there are no jerks and the movements are quite smooth. Due to this, people recovering from injuries, those suffering from arthritis, sprains and the elderly can also participate in a spin class.
This benefit makes spin classes a great recovery and workout tool for the elderly or sportspersons recovering from injuries.
6. It Relieves Mental Stress:
Spinning is a rhythmic exercise, which helps the brain to zone out and focuses completely on the process and helps to relax your mind. It is also a soothing exercise since you don’t need to worry about where you are going since the motion is repetitive, the position is fixed, and the only thing changing is the pace, which is pretty much subconsciously controlled.
It is an ideal form of relaxation while also helping your body to grow faster, stronger and healthier. After all, it is rightly said that a healthy mind gives a healthy body.
7. It Is Enjoyable:
This might be the last item on the list but is by no means lesser than any other reason listed above. Spin classes are mostly social events where a group of like-minded people come together to perform the same process to achieve different goals. Being in a similar space as a group and performing the same activity appeals to the subconscious instinct of a pack or herd and helps you feel like a part of something bigger, which is the same feeling that team sports bring out in you.
However, in a big departure from team sports, this activity does not bring out the competitive streak in you, which is a great positive for most people, who have to compete every second of their life. This is because the positions are fixed and no one can see how fast or how slow a person is going. This enables people to pursue their own goals at their own pace, all while being part of a group which motivates and encourages them to do better every time without the pressure of being looked down upon.
Conclusion: The above points should be sufficient to motivate anyone to join a spin class or try it at least once. The experience is exhilarating and healthy at the same time! Here is a comprehensive guide on best spin bikes for home use!
