A New Spin: The trend of indoor cycling explored

Emma WergelesStaff WriterWith a protein bar in hand and one more day of school under their belts, Samo students walk into a studio in their workout pants with a water bottle in their bag, ready for an intense, high-energy spinning class.From local gyms like Revolution Fitness and YAS to bigger franchises like Soul Cycle, Samo students have taken over the stationary bikes of Santa Monica.Spinning is a vigorous, aerobic, calorie-burning workout on a stationary bike.  According to the YAS web site, most classes last about 50 minutes and range from as low as $10 to as high as $35. Each 50-minute class burns about 500 calories.Most of the spinning spots in the Santa Monica area offer a discount to students.At Revolution Fitness located at 1211 Montana Ave., students can purchase the Night Light pass, which costs $100 for any 10 classes starting at or after 4:15 p.m. They also offer a $5 discount on single classes for students. At YAS, located at 1101 Abbot Kinney Blvd., the student discount is $2 to $3.Each class consists of a motivating instructor and a playlist full of ‘pump-up’ music to guide students through a series of simulated jumps, hills and sprints.“I play music that people know and can sing and dance to,” beloved Revolution Fitness spinning teacher Jeff Wells said. “It has to have a beat and make you want to move.”According to Wells, the thing that makes his class so unique is the music.  He plays upbeat pop music ranging from Madonna to Rihanna.“The music gives the class an energetic and motivational vibe that you can’t always get at the gym,” avid spinner Isadora Lim (’13) said.Lim spins regularly (three times a week) at Revolution Fitness.“It is an amazing environment at Revolution,” Lim said. “It is both supportive and healthily competitive.”Spinning is an all-body workout; it burns fat and tones your abs, arms and legs.“I think spinning is a really good workout for every part of your body, and at the same time I think that it is really fun and relieves a lot of my stress,” Sara Reynolds (’14) said.Indoor cycling is also a great, low-impact way to stay in shape during athletes’ off-seasons.Spinning is great if you have injuries, hate running or there’s bad weather.  According to YAS’ web site, spinning for 40 minutes can burn more calories than any other cardio workout.“I spin because I am a cheerleader and during competition season it’s a great way to condition. Plus, it’s not as tough on your body as running is, but it is still just as good of a workout,” Reynolds said.Many Samo students who do not play a sport also partake in spinning. After sophomore year, when physical education (P.E.) is no longer required, it is a great way to continue exercising and stay healthy.“I think, for myself, [spinning] was a convenient, affordable and fun way to exercise once I had dropped my P.E. period at school,” Lim said.Although rigorous and intense, the results that spinning offers make up for the difficulty of the classes, according to Poppy Denyer (’13).“I think students get really into it because the feeling [of accomplishment] you get afterward is so worth the pain and sweat,” Denyer said.There is also a social aspect of spinning, which is proven by Instagram pictures of “spinning twinning.”“Spinning has become more popular because it’s a fun kind of exercise. It has become a social activity for lots of people,” Caroline Huber (’13) said.According to Huber, spinning has the benefit of not requiring a gym membership or long term commitment. The accessibility of the class allows people to bring friends along and get not only a workout, but also hangout time. Thus, you can expand your social circle and meet new people who enjoy spinning as much as you do.Also, when you and your friends are being suffocated by loads of homework, exercising is a great study break where students can clear their minds.“[Going spinning] is just 50 minutes of my day where I get to not think about school and just have fun,” Reynolds said.It is also proven that the more physical activity a person participates in, the stronger their academics and focus become.“For me, exercise certainly has an impact on school. It’s much easier for me to focus after a good workout and I feel much more relaxed,” Huber said. “It’s a great remedy for anxiety.”Spinning is perfect for all levels because even though there is an instructor in the room, you get to choose your difficulty level through resistance and pace adjustment.“A reason why spinning is so popular is because it can be as easy as you want it to be,” Huber said. “If people choose to actually push themselves during spin, it can be a great, short and lively workout.”According to Wells, one of the most unique things about spinning is that everyone can do it, even those with limited athletic ability.“[There is] no coordination necessary. You don’t have to be an athlete or have any special skills,” Wells said. “It’s non-impact, safe and effective. It helps blow off stress, helps you control your weight and it’s fun.”ewergeles@thesamohi.com