Indoor Cycling: My Exercise of Choice

I want a runner's body. I want long, sinewy limbs, and that very fit look that runners seem to have. I want to run a 5K. A 10K. A marathon! I don't want to walk anymore. I want to run. The caveat is I hate running. Ever since I can remember, I have hated running. Flashback of me in 7^th grade gym class having to do laps and being the slowest one around the track. It doesn't help that I have asthma, not that I'm using that as an excuse, but it is hard to run when you can't breathe.

Last year, I signed up for a female-only boot camp in hopes of discovering my inner athlete. I knew running would be involved, I just didn't realize how much running. I had a choice of which boot camp to sign up for: the one that emphasized running, and the one that was more of an all-body workout. I chose the latter. We still had to run. A lot. The boot camp I attended was three days a week for an hour in the wee hours of the morning, and during that hour, we ran half the time. And there I was, feeling like I was back in the 7^th grade and being the slowest one around the track. It's a great workout if you like that sort of thing. I didn't.

One of the major reasons why people don't stick to an exercise program is they get bored with it, or they don't like the particular activity they're doing. I've had the most success sticking with an exercise program when I looked forward to the activity, when I craved doing it almost as much as I craved a slice of chocolate cake. I liked the feeling of accomplishment that the boot camp gave me, but I never did get excited about the running.

I discovered indoor cycling classes quite a few years ago, when it was the exercise du jour back in the late 1990's. I remember curiously peaking into the small dark room at the gym I belonged to in New York City. There, in black light, with pounding, pulsating sounds coming through the stereo speakers, fifteen men and women were pedaling and perspiring ferociously. They would emerge from this room drenched in sweat, looking like they had just come from a swimming class rather than a spinning class.

I didn't actually participate in an indoor cycling class until a few years later. I was immediately hooked. For those of you who don't know about this form of exercise, indoor cycling, which has the trademark name "Spinning," was created by a professional cyclist named Johnny G. An indoor cycling class basically simulates an outdoor cycling experience by adding resistance to the bike to replicate hills, wind, and flat or bumpy roads. I guess what immediately appealed to me was the visualization that was part of the class. I was riding a bike with my eyes closed, imagining that I was cruising along in the Swiss Alps, or along the beach on a windy day in Hawaii. The possibilities were endless.

For the past 9 years, I've been an avid follower of indoor cycling. As long as I remain consistent with my workouts, the results from this particular form of exercise are evident. A few years ago I lost quite a bit of weight, owing that weight loss, not in any small part, to the fact that I was cycling 4-5 times per week. The fact that after 9 years, I still look forward to my cycling classes says a lot about this exercise, don't you think?

It's not for everyone. My sister hates cycling classes. But she likes running...go figure. After concentrating solely on cardio, I started implementing strength training into my workout sessions as well. I'm no fitness expert, and don't claim to be, but the good news is I found something that works for me, and it works for me because I like doing it. I've seen quite a change, not only in my body, but in my endurance and strength. I love riding. Got the cycling shoes and everything so I can clip into my pedals and go, go, go!

The moral of this story is clear. Find out what type of exercise motivates you; something that you can stick with for the long-term, and go for it. And if you stick with your workouts, (and eating well, of course) you will definitely see the desired results. There's no magic formula here gang. Eat less. Move more. But you should definitely enjoy yourself while you're doing it. So go for a walk, go for a swim, or go take an indoor cycling class. And if you want to...go for a run. If you can do that, I'll be very jealous indeed!