Spinning your way to good health a great option

Looking for a workout where you set your own pace and bike indoors?

Spinning classes are offered at the Cheyenne County Community Center every day of the week except on Friday and during the weekend and the classes are a great way to improve cardiovascular health, stamina and leg strength, said instructor Kiersten Richards, activities director at the center.

There is a class to fit almost anyone’s schedule with classes at 5:45 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 11:45 a.m. Monday and Wednesday and at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Classes are $5 per class for members and nonmembers and $25 for members for a month class pass or $50 for nonmembers for a month class pass.

Three different instructors cover the spinning classes at the center. Richards teaches the afternoon classes and Tuesday night class, while Linda Bosard teaches the morning classes and Ashley Houtwed, MS, RD, LMNT Director of Nutrition Services at Sidney Regional Medical Center teaches the remaining night classes.

All instructors have been certified to teach the class and the program has been in place at the center for two years now.

The class runs for 45 minutes unless it is extended for an extra 15 minutes, which sometimes happens, said Richards.

Participants can wear regular workout clothes and running shoes, although harder soled running shoes reduce the impact of each cycle stroke better, said the instructor.

There are nine bikes available per class.

“We have sign-ups starting 24 hours before each class so that each participant is ensured an open bike,” she said.

Although anyone of any age is allowed to participate in the class, Richards said that the bikes are made for those 12 and older so would work best for them.

The instructors play music that stays as intense as the workout and the instructor said that there are different energy zones that they will place the workout in.

“There’s an endurance energy, a strength energy, interval energy, race day energy and recovery energy,” she said. “Race day we do not do as often because you race during the whole class. We really watch our intensity and our intensity changes heart rate from 50 percent of your resting heart rate to up to 92 percent. That’s how we gauge on how hard we push. Some classes are harder than others.”

Each participant is provided a heart rate monitor to wear during his or her workout.

There are different positions throughout the workout and sometimes participants are climbing hills or running on the bike, she said.

“It helps people exercise the mind/body connection that is the core of obtaining complete fitness and health,” said Richards based on what she has researched about the exercise.

According to researchers on average spinning participants burn approximately 400 to 500 calories over a 40-minute workout, said the instructor.

“It’s a good cardio workout and you can actually burn anywhere from 400 to 1,000 calories or more depending on the workout and how long it is. You work literally every leg muscle during each cycle stroke.”

During spinning class participants can go at their own pace and get whatever they want out of their workout, the instructors said.

“The thing about spinning is you are in charge of your own workout,” said Richards. “There is a resistance knob that you turn to do as hard or as little as you want. You can do what the instructor shows when they teach but you can also push yourself as hard as you want or you could take it slow.”

“You can make it your own work out, so whatever fitness level you are at it is still a great workout for that person,” said Houtwed. “It is good cardio and strength when you add resistance and can burn a lot of calories.”

The instructors stressed that it is not only good for beginners but also those in recovery from an injury.

“It’s good for those that are in recovery from something so they can go at their own pace or beginners can go at their own pace,” said Richards. “We try to have fun and it’s not scary. It’s a good group exercise.”

Richards and Houtwed both said that they enjoy spinning and teaching greatly.

“I like teaching it because of the people that come to the class that make it more fun for me,” said Houtwed. “I know they are expecting a good work out so that is incentive to keep going and make it fun for them to workout. I like to see the new beginners get started and become ‘a rider!’ and I like workout classes because they seem to make the time go faster and spin class flies by for me and I always leave sweating and tired.”

“I love it because it’s an awesome workout that keeps me in shape but I also like helping people get to that fitness level and teach people and see them improve from start to finish,” said Richards.

Houtwed said that everyone should try the class at least once and see for themselves that they can go at their own pace and there is no pressure.

“They can set their own tension and pace and go at their own level,” she said. “Everything is a little hard the first time, so the only way you will know if it is the right workout for you is if you give it a try! Everyone should just go once and see if they like it.”