Why spinning is a great form of exercise
These days there are dozens of new fad exercise programs that claim the fastest weight loss, the best muscle toning and the simplest to incorporate into your daily schedule. Some of them last for a few months. Some of them last significantly longer. But the important thing is that it gets people out exercising. As long as you're being active, does it really matter what kind of approach you take? Well actually, it might, but that does depends on your purpose in exercising. If you're looking for a simple way to combine cardiovascular exercise with strength training, spinning may be the best option for you. But if you go to the gym just to socialize or check out potential dates, maybe you should just keep going to the gym. But if you are interested in improving your daily workout, here are some reasons why spinning is a great form of exercise.
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First, what exactly is spinning? Spinning was created by world-class cyclist "Jonny G." Goldberg as a convenient and fast way to train for races. It is an aerobic exercise that takes place on stationary bicycle called (no surprise here) a spinning bike. As you pedal along, motivating music plays and a spinning instructor talks you through a visualization of an outdoor cycling workout. During each session you vary your pace. Sometimes you pedal as fast as you can on a low resistance and other times you pedal slowly with high resistance.
Spinning is a great form of exercise because it burns a high amount of calories per session (on average, about 450 in 45 minutes). It offers an awesome aerobic workout that makes your heart work very hard. Unlike running, which is an excellent way to burn calories and strengthen your heart and lungs, spinning will build muscle mass and strength. It tones your front thigh muscles (also known as quadriceps) and outer thigh muscles. It can be done by almost anyone and doesn't involve a lot of coordination. And although you have an instructor giving you general guidelines, you are in control of your pace.
Traditional spinning exercise classes are usually made up of about twelve to twenty people. Classes usually go from fifty minutes to an hour. Non-traditional spinning does not have to be done in a class at a gym. All you need is a bike and bike trainer (a stand that your bike sits on and offers road-like resistance as you ride in place), a pair of good shoes and some padded-bottom shorts (trust me, you'll want them). It's also a good idea to have a bottle of water handy, whether you're in class or at home. Spinning works up quite a sweat and it's very important that you stay hydrated.
There are only a few drawbacks to spinning. First, spinning does not work all of your leg muscles equally, so you should also do some cross training exercises or you may develop muscle imbalances. This can be easily prevented, however, if you alternate spinning with running or jump roping etc. Also, spinning every day can cause injuries in your knees, hips and lower backs. This can also be prevented if you are sure to do another form of exercise on your off days and if you stretch properly after each workout. Bear in mind, however, that these types of injuries are common with almost any exercise. Running can cause much more stress on your body, increasing the risk of joint injuries.
Using a spinning cycle will give you the aerobic burst that you need to get your heart pumping and boost your endurance. So hop on a cycle and start pedaling towards and new, more fit you!
