Spinning for Fitness

Spinning, or Indoor Cycling as it is called generically, is one of the best ways to get into great shape. It not only strengthens your heart better than most cardio exercises, but will tone and define your legs and butt to perfection.

I began taking Spinning classes back in 1995 down at Johnny G's studio in Los Angeles. He is the man who created Spinning. I drove from Santa Barbara once to twice weekly to take his and other instructors classes. It was exhilarating and a blast to be doing this new exercise that was as close to riding a bike as I had ever experienced.

I decided to open a gym in Santa Barbara in 1996 that had its own Spinning Class. We were the first in town to have a real Spinning gym, and it was packed with riders for every class.

We held a class that catered to tri-athletes. Most of the students found that their race times were reduced by adding the Spinning to their training program.


Our regular members became addicted to the high energy, fast moving, pace of the classes. They began to lose fat, increase their endurance, tone and define their bodies, and feel great after participating in a class.

Indoor cycling will improve your endurance like no other form of cardiovascular machines. There have been many studies that find this type of exercise will burn more calories than other types of cardio. There have been some that say one hour of indoor cycling is equivalent to two hours out on the road.

One of the reasons for this is, you are constantly peddling when you are on a Spinning bike. Out on the road you can stop your feet as often as you would like, but on a Spinning bike you are to keep peddling throughout the class.


Indoor cycling will keep you fit when you can't go outside to exercise. It will give you endurance that will cross over to other activities that you do. It will enhance your strength for other exercises that you perform as well.

The great thing about doing an indoor cycling class is that you can go at your own speed, and that is recommended when you are beginning this exercise. Some people get caught up in the fast paced, high energy of a class and go beyond what they are really capable of doing when they first come to Spinning. It is better to just roll your legs on the bike the first time you attend a class, and observe before jumping in full on.

So check out a Indoor cycling class at your local gym. What a great thing to add to your list of activities that will keep you fit, having fun, and looking great. Enjoy!!


Till Tomorrow,
Queenie