Workout Series: Spin Class

If the thought of running on a treadmill for one hour bores you to tears, you are not alone. Plenty of people feel that way too – and have gone on to find more exciting ways to get some exercise. Just ask Esther Wong, who discovered a new way to do an old exercise!

Esther Wong, 25, is an event stylist and the founder of Afterbloom. Depending on her work schedule, she tries to fit in time to exercise at least two to three times a week.

“To be honest, I am the sort of person who would get bored easily at the gym. If you ask me to lift weights in sets, I would rather not. That’s why I prefer to go for classes, or follow yoga and Pilates videos online – they’re much more fun!”

Esther’s first experience with indoor cycling, also known as Spin Class, was at her usual gym. An indoor cycling class involves a group of people riding on stationary bicycles. The class incorporates group pedal spinning accompanied by pumping music, and is also referred to as RPM or Spin classes. (RPM stands for Rotations Per Minute, referring to devices that track your rotations per minute to gauge the speed and intensity of your workout; but can also refer to a trademarked, standardized fitness class by Les Mills. The spinning of the bike pedals also gives this workout its other name – spin class).

“The class I joined was fast paced, which kept things exciting. You also do indoor cycling together as a group to achieve a certain pace. It was a fun experience and was an interesting way for me to get my weekly workout. Despite that, I felt that it only engaged my lower body especially my legs. I still craved a more challenging, total body workout,”

One day, she came across a fitness video on Instagram. “It was about a new type of indoor cycling class called Flycycle that’s in KL. I was intrigued by how the workout engages both the upper and lower body with push-ups, weights, ab work, all while cycling on the stationary bike. I had never heard of spin done that way and was sold. I immediately looked up for a class!”

Initially, Esther was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the intensity of the class. “I’ve heard that these indoor cycling classes can be quite intense, and was worried that I’d fall off the bike in the middle of the class! Luckily, Flycycle provided a pair of spin shoes that are clipped to the bike’s pedals. That really helped to keep my feet secure, as I used to find that my feet would slip off while cycling halfway through the routine.”

“I also had help to adjust the height of my seat on the bike, which made things more comfortable,” After getting a towel and 1kg weights, the instructor took the stage. 

“The instructor of the day was very kind and encouraging! His enthusiasm made it easy for us to keep up with the class. He started by demonstrating some basic moves on the bike. A little warm up and then we went straight into the routine. We all pedaled according to the beat of the music, and all of the songs were catchy and fast paced - which made it fun to keep up to!”

What about the weights that were given earlier? Esther continues: “The weights came into play in the middle of the class, when we stopped working out our limbs to work with the weights. That was a welcome relief for my limbs! The class ends with a sprint (pedaling really quickly) to the finish line, and a cool down session with lots of stretches.”

As with all forms of new workouts, Esther felt the burn the next day. “My arms and thighs ached the next day from the workout, but I felt really energized and couldn’t wait to join the next class!”

Over the years, many forms of exercise have undergone revamps to be more relevant in modern times. Like how aerobics got a Latin-inspired remix into Zumba today, or how regular callisthenic workouts got a new lease of life with suspension training. Even the slow-paced yoga experienced many forms of modern refreshes like hot yoga and aerial yoga! Spin class is no different – it’s a newer (and more fun) way to do an existing workout. If you find yourself getting bored with doing the same workout, try looking up a new or different way of working out. You might just reignite your passion for living an active lifestyle!

References

https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/fitness-classes/rpm/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/438031-meaning-rpm-exercise/

The above articles are intended for informational purposes only. AIA accepts no responsibility for loss, which may arise from reliance on information contained in the articles.