My first indoor spinning experience began when I got a Schwinn Air Dyne when my kids were young in the late 70s. Even though I was a committed runner, I would ride my stationary bike when I couldn’t get someone to watch the kids or when the weather was cold, icy or snowy. Once the kids got into school, I continued to run outdoors and also began cycling outdoors. I love outdoors cycling because you could cover a lot of ground and the scenery is beautiful.

Spinervals Videos

In the 80s, a triathlete friend of mine, Val Gattis, told me about the Spinerval Videos. The company sent me some of the videos to preview since I was writing a column about them in my monthly health & fitness magazine, Kentuckiana HealthFitness. I used these videos religiously until Spin Classes officially came to Louisville. Once I started spin classes I got hooked. I was running & spinning. I was is the best shape of my life. My first spin bike was a Johnny G Schwinn bike. I gave it to my son who was in an internal medicine residency because my husband bought me a CycleOps Pro 300PT indoor cycle for my birthday. It’s the spin bike I have been using in my home gym for 15+ years and it’s still working great!

Spin Class: A National Craze

Spin Classes are typically offered either early in the morning, after work and sometimes during the day at most fitness centers. Once spinning became a national craze, the classes would fill up quickly and if you didn’t arrive early for a class with your favorite instructor, you were out of luck. At that point, going to an organized spin class became a time management thing for me as well as a financial commitment of belonging to a fitness center. I had to drive for 1 hour total to and from the fitness center. I was working 80 hours a week,  publishing 2 health magazines, a weekly radio show, a week segment on TV and competing in races and cycling events so time was not in my favor.

YouTube Videos to High Energy Music

When I was time crunched, watching my Spinerval videos and Cycling Videos on YouTube was my next step. Since I had been to so many spin classes, I became a master at creating my own spin routines with high energy CDs I made especially for my home spinning.  But once retired, I had more time to cycle outdoors.

Foot Surgery and an end to Running

In 2018, I had foot surgery which resulted in 2 fused toe joints & an official end to my 42 years of running.  I was forced to switch to walking. However, when I walked, I could never get my heart rate up to an aerobic range but when I get on my spin bike, I could get a really great aerobic workout! As a result, spinning has become my sole source of aerobic exercise. I use a Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Bell Drive Indoor Cycling Bike at my Florida winter home. I bought it through Amazon because there were no fitness companies close to where we live in Florida. You can also pay a little extra through Amazon to have it assembled in your home which I did.

Studio Sweat on Demand to the Rescue

In 2018, I discovered Studio Sweat on Demand online spinning classes (https://www.studiosweatondemand.com/).

I initially got a 7-day FREE TRIAL PASS and I ultimately signed up for a year subscription. At that time, Studio Sweat on Demand had a Holiday Special for $99. I have been a member since 2018. Although, I typically just use the spin classes, they have all types of classes on the site: Weight Training, Yoga, Dance Cardio, Bootcamp, HIIT Workouts, Pilates, Stretching, Abs, Sculpting, Barbells, TRX, Kickboxing and LIVE classes. They have a bunch of instructors and have plans as low as $8.25/month ($99/year). You can also buy individual class downloads at a cost of three top selling download classes for $23.64.  Studio Sweat on Demand is currently offering the classes for a special price is $17.73 (25% off).

Peloton® App Digital Membership Available

You don’t have to buy a Peloton® bike to take advantage of the Peloton® classes. You can download the app from the App Store for free. Take advantage of the 30-day FREE TRIAL. If you like what you see, you can join for $12.99/month ($155.88 plus tax/year). You can get a student discount for $6.99/month or a military discount for $9.99/month. If you buy the peloton bike your monthly membership is $44/month ($528 plus tax/year) but you can have additional accounts compared to $12.99/month digital membership which allows for 1 account member. The Peloton Digital App has all types of classes on the site: Spinning Weight Training, Yoga, Dance Cardio, Bootcamp, HIIT Workouts, Pilates, Stretching, Abs, Sculpting, Barbells, TRX, Kickboxing and LIVE classes. They have a bunch of instructors from all over the world. One limitation for me when using the Peloton Digital App is most of the spin classes are 20 – 30 minutes in duration. I am used to 60-minute classes. I could string classes together to equal a total of 60 minutes but a little more time consuming to do that. From a younger perspective: My granddaughter who will graduate from college this year uses the Peloton App at college. She says she likes the short 20 – 30 minute rides because she can get warmed up and ready for her weight training program. Another perk is I like seeing the song playing on the left side of the screen. Many times, I hear a great song in the spin class that I might add to my playlist on my I-phone, so this may be useful for some.

What Makes a Great Spin Class…for Me

For me, an enthusiastic instructor, great music and intensity makes the class a hit. Since I have been taking spin class for many years, I have experienced lots of different instructors. One thing that turns me off is using music that consistently uses the F-word or discusses violence especially against women. I have been a word listener when I listen to music all my life. I think it’s because I like to sing along. I once pointed out to my favorite spin instructor, who was mother of three young girls, whose music on a particular day contained both of those No-no’s. Kelly said, “I honestly never listen to the words but am more interested in the beat.” She ended up dropping the song out of that particular work-out music.

Finding the Right Spin Class

It doesn’t matter whether you participate in spin classes at your fitness center or at home, JUST DO IT. Your body and mind will thank you. 

*Image borrowed from Studio Sweat On Demand.