I have been authoring the Martini Chronicles for almost two years, and I have had the opportunity to actually and virtually meet and fellowship with many Professional Divas that face the same professional values, ideals, and challenges. One of the major challenges that my fellow Professional Divas and I face is that there are not enough hours in the day. Trust me when I tell you that I sincerely wish that I had more time to clean my home, cook for my family, and hang out with my girls...but clearly, I do not! There is one thing, however, that I always try to make time for...working out. With all the sitting down I do at work and all of the lunch meetings and trainings that I attend, my body would be utterly anti-sexy if I didn't manage to get in some exercise at least 4 times per week.
As many of you know, running has typically been my exercise of choice. I have graduated from both the CouchTo5K and BridgeTo10K programs, which is a huge accomplishment for me. I also regularly frequent a boot camp class so that I can get my strength training served to me with a little bit of crazy (courtesy of the instructor, of course). All of these workouts have one thing in common...they all allow me to work out for 60 to 90 minutes, which is usually all the time I can spare in my busy day.
After becoming what I consider an amateur runner, I started getting bored and my knees were starting to ache a little more than usual. I knew that I needed to find another activity that would allow me to get a great cardio workout and that would not put as much strain on my knees. I swear Living Social must have had a hidden camera in my office...at the exact moment I was discussing this issue with a colleague, I received an email from Living Social telling me that I could purchase 5 indoor cycling classes for $29. It was too much of a coincidence for me to pass it up, so I purchased the deal...quickly!
Now, I had never taken a spin class before. Scratch that...I had attempted to take a spin class a few times in the past, but the second my butt started hurting (about 2 minutes into the class), I quit! I was determined not to let that happen to me this time. So, I signed up for my first class at the Revolution Indoor Cycling Studio in Pine Brook, New Jersey, about 15 minutes from my office. Here we go!
As I headed over to the studio on the evening of my first class, I literally talked to myself the entire time in the car to convince myself not to quit this time. I mean, I was seriously scolding myself! When I made it to the studio and walked in the door, I immediately knew that I was not going to quit and that this was going to be my newest obsession. How did I know you ask? For one, the people were so nice! And nice goes a long way with me. I could also tell right away that this studio was a family business. Family goes a long way with me, too! I just instantly felt comfortable, and for me, comfort is extremely important. It was evident that this was my first class, but no one made me feel bad about it. Lisa, the fabulous instructor, was nice enough to help me set up my bike and explain how the the bike and the class works. I was ready....I think!
And so the class begins...the room is dark and the music is bumping...really good, heart pumping music...and then here comes the pain in my butt...ugh! Right on cue, Lisa announced that the pain in your butt goes away after a few classes...whew! I stuck it out through the hills and the weights, and before I knew it an hour had passed and the class was over. No, seriously! We had done an entire hour and I had biked about 18 miles, and I hardly noticed because I was having so much fun. And then I saw the single most shocking thing that I had seen in the last hour...are you guys ready for this....I had burned 512 calories...SHUT UP! And I had a great time doing it! At that very moment, spinning became my new obsession.
Since I have taken this first class, I have been back 5 more times. I have taken classes not only with Lisa, but also with her wonderful sister Traci and the amazing Christian. I have also dropped about 9 pounds in the last 6 weeks or so since I started spinning. Needless to say, I will definitely be back for more. Oh...your butt does stop hurting after taking a few classes...thank God!
For those of you inspired by this post to try my newest obsession, here are some of the benefits of spinning:
- You burn a lot of calories (anywhere from 400 - 700 in a 60 minute session)
- You build muscle tone in your core, butt, and thighs (the most problematic areas ever!)
- It is a low impact exercise (better for your knees)
- It is a great stress reliever (which is a must for Professional Divas)
- The spin bikes allow you to control resistance and go at your own pace
- The classes are fun (the music does it for me)
Have any of you taken an indoor cycling class? If so, what are your thoughts on the classes? Would you recommend these classes to others?
I want to thank all of the instructors and staff over at the Revolution Indoor Cycling Studio for contributing to my newest obsession. You guys are just as much as a factor in my enjoyment of the classes as the classes themselves. For more information on the studio, click here. For more information on indoor cycling in general, please see Spinning.com.
Have a great week!
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