Word on Workouts: Spinning Edition

I have a few workout staples I've come to love over the years (barre classes, kettle bell workouts, "Hip Hop Abs"..Shaun T love), but every now and then I think it's important to switch things up. It keeps your mind from getting bored (if you can quote the DVD word for word, it's time to try something else) and it helps ward off plateaus in terms of getting fit. Plus, it's kinda fun to try something new and look like a complete fool, or at least that's what usually happens for me.

This summer, I decided to try a spin class. I blame it on the fact that I was working night shift at the time and rarely made intelligent choices due to chronic confusion as to what the hell day/time/week/planet it was. Usually, I try a new class out with a friend but THANK GOD I did this one solo. I roll up to a popular Houston studio around 1pm thinking "Eh, it's the middle of the day. The class should be kinda empty". False, young and naive Shannon. I had to get a bike in the back row. What do all these people do with their lives that they can be here at 1pm on a Tuesday? They can't all be nurses. Do they spin on their lunch breaks? If so, they are insane because it took me days to recover. 

The kind soul of an instructor helped me clip into the bike. This is where I knew that I was in the process of making a mistake. I have flat feet (thanks Dad) and this was wildly uncomfortable and scary. What if I needed to make a run for it? What if I toppled over? What if my feet came out, but the shoes just kept rolling like hamsters on a wheel? Then the lights dimmed and some Ying Yang Twins started booming. 'Okay, Shan, you got dis' the Twins basically serenaded me. The first few minutes weren't bad. Then there was this ball we had to lift whilst spinning. This requires stupid amounts of coordination. And then about 10 minutes in, my butt felt as if perhaps a small bone had broken. This girl in front of me, who looked like a damn Lululemon model, was all "up, down, up, down" like she was going for a casual Sunday stroll. This was not the case for yours truly. It was the longest hour of my life and I entered that special state of delirium only people who work nights get-I started giggling uncontrollably. I think it was either that or I was crying.  

Thankfully, the fresh hell that is spin class ended shortly thereafter. I hobbled out of there (after unclipping myself from the foot traps of death). It hurt to sit down for a full 4 days after and I couldn't bend down or move quickly. "Sorry, m'am, I'm gonna need you to not push your baby out yet because your nurse is trying to wheel herself down the hall so she doesn't have to use her legs".

Anyways, people I work with at the gym tell me to try it again. One of our fab instructors tried to give me some pointers and I basically told him to talk to the hand. The only way I'm doing that again is if I have four tequila shots beforehand. 

Godspeed, you spinners out there. I'll stick to not being tortured.

xoxo,

S