Spin it! Spin it!

As Dick3 once said, “Now is the winter of our discontent”. We are truly in the depths of winter, and I am not content. Several inches of snow has fallen and covers the streets in a lovely glass-like layer of ice and or slush. But old Tricky III wasn’t talking about riding a push bike in the winter for goodness sake. At least don’t think so, but that’s just a hunch (*cough*……I’ll get my coat). Anyway, sounded good as an introductory sentence (in my head at least).

Taking a bike out on the roads is out of the question in this weather, for me. I tried to drive a car last night (NB. I do know how to drive a car, I mean I tried to drive a car in these treacherous weather times). If that is the general experience of car driving in current conditions, I’ll leave off for the cycling for a while. Avoiding the path of oncoming vehicles was a chore, never mind avoiding pesky cyclists if any were crazy enough to venture out.

So what to do as an alternative? Well, I am considering the purchase of a turbo trainer. And I may well just about do that. To others in a similar predicament, I say to you this: Have you tried spinning?

Yes, spinning. It’s brilliant. I don’t ride my bike every day, even during spells of more agreeable weather. I’m definitely a fair weather cyclist and I have no need to commute. But it was spinning that has kept me interested in the idea of fitness and losing weight.

Usually I spin about four to five times per week. Sometimes even for two hour sessions. If I could manage to get up early enough on a Saturday, I’d spin at the leisure centre too. I spin at the Studio in Glossop, with Cherry Baker. Spinning with Cherry is a different experience than a standard spinning teacher. She explains things very well and there’s certainly never a dull moment with Cherry. She also puts in a lot of stretching and some bone-loading exercises too. Spinning is marvellous, but there is no bone loading involved.

So how does it work? It’s a resistance based machine. You alter the resistance so that you work harder. You do this to music and with an instructor taking you through the imaginary cycle course. We often cycle up imaginary Chunnel, or occasionally we are taken on the gruelling pretend three peaks challenge. Often there are difficult bits where you have to use your legs and refrain from sitting down for what seems like several decades, but is in reality the length of a song. It is during these times when you wish that you were several stone lighter. You may feel that you are not fit enough to spin, but this is not the case. It can be quite tough, but you can ease yourself in gradually, by sitting down during the standing up bits and not turning the dial so far.

As far as I’m aware, nobody checks other people to see how “good” or bad they are. People of all abilities are in the classes, from the older above sixty-five year old, to my eighteen year old cousin, who spins with effortless ease. More recently Michael, Dave and Lesley have tried it, and they are getting hooked. Each, like me, desk-bound and hoping to increase their fitness levels.

I found spinning difficult to begin with. It’s demanding on your legs and your respiratory system. It also hurts your bum, so make sure you wear padded cycle shorts. Each class is tough to begin with, but you get over the initial hurdle of pain and then the endorphins kick in and then you feel fantastic. If the music is good, it you get a massive buzz. After spinning I feel very positive and start making my plans for marathons and triathalons. Recently I’ve been off the alcohol as part of the health drive, but I’ve had a few snifters with the festive season cheer. And I can honestly say I prefer the feeling you get from spinning to the dizzy stumbly feeling I get from alcohol. And spinning wins hands down. After spinning I do not spend a day in bed and/or vomiting into a bucket.

After spinning for about four months at four to five times per week, I attempted running. About twelve years ago, during a different, fitter lifetime I was in love with running. The same applies to running as it does to spinning in terms of the natural high. Last year I tried to do the couch to 10k programme, but I couldn’t run for five minutes without all over pain. The other week I was able to run non-stop for thirty minutes, and I can run for sustained periods on a running machine. This is down to spinning. Spinning and losing over fourteen pounds, but the two are interconnected.

My leg muscles have developed massively from spinning. I think I have these names right – I’ve now got much stronger and more developed hip flexors, quads, gluteus and what I think are sartorious (inner thigh muscles, not too sure if that is these). Tighter gluteus maximus, and in general much more toned.

I’ve missed out on my spinning over the past two weeks due to travel because of my job and now christmas, I really, really miss the sessions when I can’t attend.

If you are stuck inside and hating the fact you can’t exercise, try spinning! Don’t worry that you are not fit enough, you will be. Don’t worry about looking weird in a group, I’ve found the classes to be relaxed and non-judgemental. Make sure you get a good teacher though, it is key. If you live near Glossop, try the Studio’s velo fit classes. The bikes are great, teaching is fab and it’s a lovely friendly atmosphere.