You spin me right round baby...

like a record baby... you know you have that song in your head now don't you?

Well, it's taken me a couple of days but I'm finally getting around to writing about my experience with my spin class. I tried it last Tuesday and had all intentions of going to day but unfortunately, that did not happen what with The Husband claiming he has a conference call and me ending up taking the dog to the vet for his check-up and all kinds of other life things that got in the way. I will be working out later and The Son will be heading to Kids' Corner, just no spinning today.

Spinning. Here's an article I linked to once before, it seems to cover the basics. More or less, spinning is indoor cycling on a stationary bike set to music. Aerobics on a bike if you will. The instructor who taught the class I took is a parent of one of my swim students. (If I was the kind of teacher who had favorite students, you might even say this boy could be one of the favorites, but I like all of my students equally of course, so we can't say that.) I headed into the class and she set me up on the bike, making sure the seat was set at the right height and explaining the tension knob to me. The tension works on a self-perceived scale of one to ten, ten being impossible to pedal and the teacher will shout out the number at which you should be pedaling as the class progresses. It's nice because beginners like me can control their level. For example my "8" is going to be much less than a spinning veteran's "8".

Our instructor had some cool music playing and we got started at a loose tension. My butt was hurting at the very beginning of class. Even though I have a significant amount of "padding" back there, my bones were not exactly comfortable. They swear that goes away after a few classes and you don't even notice it any more. I look forward to that day. As the class goes on, the tension on the bike increases and the sweat pours from your pores. It was definitely a great work out. There are plenty of times when you are standing on the pedals instead of sitting on the seat but honestly, that was at times, easier than sitting because of those sore butt bones. We did a lot of up and down motions and "caught the beat" of the music to try and get us moving faster. I was definitely one of the slower ones but felt good that I could complete the class at my own pace. I will admit that I was pleased when it was over however. The class I took has a short abs class following and I did that too. (same teacher)

Now for my evaluation...Did I love spinning? No, but I liked it and I will definitely do it again. I think it seems like something that could grow on me once my butt bones stop hurting (because those suckers hurt for about five days!) I also struggle with not being able to "see" how many calories I burn. I know that the treadmill and elliptical machine calorie counters are not completely accurate but they still give me a good indication of how hard I am working and I am addicted to getting the total higher and higher and higher! I think that it's good to switch up the exercise that you do and spinning will be a great work out to add into my "non-weight" lifting days. The women in the class were very welcoming and made me feel comfortable even though I think they thought a girl my size would have trouble keeping up. I was not sore the next day, (other than my butt bones of course) One of the girls has lost over 40 pounds since she started the spinning class so I know it's good exercise. It was fun to try something new since that was one of my goals with my new healthy lifestyle.

Next week.... Zumba?

It's spring break for us this week even though it's FREEZING outside! It's also my Daddy's birthday and I want to wish him a very happy one...we'll have to celebrate on Sunday. I will be calling him later but know that The Son wants to talk to him too and he's at a friend's house at the moment. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Enjoy your Tuesday everyone!