Spinning classes, which are held in a group setting and led by an instructor, involve intense indoor cycling. You can usually find a spinning class at your local gym. Spinning classes are fun and motivating and will help you burn a lot of calories while you get an intense cardio workout. Consult your doctor or physician before starting a new fitness class.
Motivation
Spinning classes are motivating because they're fun. Many spinning classes simulate exciting bike rides through adventurous locations, giving you a psychological thrill that keeps you from getting bored. Sometimes, instructors may keep it fun by playing night club music and having disco lights. Good instructors are motivational speakers and tough coaches, so if you find an instructor whose style you like, it could motivate you to push yourself harder when working out. Keeping up with the rest of the group is another motivational factor you don't get from a solo workout. In some classes, everyone's statistics are put up on screens in the room, so if you're competitive, that factor could also motivate you.
Weight Loss Benefits
Weight loss occurs when you regularly burn more calories than you consume. Spinning is a highly intense aerobic exercise that burns a lot of calories, so it's a time-efficient workout that can help you lose pounds. According to Shape Magazine, a 45-minute spin class burns approximately 450 calories. The muscle mass you gain increases your metabolism, so you will burn calories faster, even when you're resting.
Strength & Cardio Benefits
Spinning requires you to use your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and abs. Since these are some of your largest muscle groups, they will gain a lot of strength with regular spinning. Having strong legs gives you more endurance for walking and running and improves your balance and coordination. You tighten your core as you balance yourself while spinning, which improves your posture. Spinning classes get your heart pumping fast, which improves your cardiovascular fitness. Thus, taking spinning classes regularly will keep you in shape and help ward off heart disease.
Other Benefits
Spinning classes are a great way to get an intense cycling workout while in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. It's a lot safer than riding outside, since there's no need to worry about bad weather, getting lost or falling and injuring yourself. It's easier to bring water, a sports drink, a snack, a towel, and your personal belongings along with you to a class at the gym than it is on an outdoor cycling excursion. Unlike running, spinning doesn't put stress on your joints. You also have the social benefit of being able to meet people in your class.
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Writer Bio
Lindsay Haskell enjoys writing about fitness, health, culture and fashion. She is a contributor for "Let's Talk Magazine" and "The Wellesley News." Haskell is completing her B.A. in philosophy at Wellesley College. She's also a fiction writer whose work can be read online.