Just Keep Spinning

Riding a bike has never been a favorite activity of mine. First of all, it requires effort from basically every muscle in your legs and second of all, helmets are uncomfortable, unattractive, and just disgusting. Old Natalie would have avoided bikes at all costs, however, I am on a mission to be fit. So I swallowed my pride and went to my first spin class. 

Picture of Man on a Spin Bike

Spinning is a high intensity interval type of workout that incorporates all the difficulties of outdoor cycling without actually being outdoors or wearing the grotesque helmets I talked about previously. The bikes are stationary and can be adjusted based on your height. They include a knob that adjusts resistance, meaning it can adjust how hard it is to pedal the bike, mimicking biking uphill. 

I was extremely intimidated walking into this spin class. On the Penn State White Building website they said it was required for participants of the class to bring a TOWEL. Basically, this meant I was going to drown in my own sweat and I was not prepared for it. 

I walked into the White Building only to find a long line of skinny, sorority girls who looked nothing like me. I wore a baggy t-shirt and leggings with my signature curly ponytail, while they wore sequin tank tops and full faces of makeup.We all walked in and I chose a bike in the middle back of the room. I tried to adjust the bike myself, but of course my hands failed me and I looked like a fumbling moron twisting a random knob while most of the girls were already spinning. The instructor asked the class if it was anyone's first time spinning and I shot my hand up. Of course, I was the only one. 

I began to spin and reevalaute my poor life choices, like coming to this class.  The instructor originally said in a quiet, sweet voice,

"Hello guys, my name is Amy and today's class theme will be...."

(She says in an extremely deep demon voice)  "BURN IT TO THE GROUND!!!!!"

Basically, this was my reaction.

Picture of Scared Man

The instructor began the class, with fire-themed music, and I was not prepared for the level of intensity of this class. She would alternate from making us raise the resistance so my legs felt like I was climbing up a mudslide or turning the resistance so low that I thought I was going to flip off the bike and fly across the room. The instructor explicitly said that we would have NO BREAKS, but we were more than welcome to take one. However, with every single person around you going faster and harder than you, it would be too embarrassing for me to take a break.  

After about 30 minutes into the class, I was in a puddle of sweat (that towel was necessary), and I was completely breathless. However, she kept pushing us, shouting, 

Picture of Fire

"Add some gasoline to that fire!"

"I want to see flames!"

"Set this place ablaze!"

I swear she was an undercover arsonist. 

After the class was over, she told us to hop off the bike and stretch out legs out. Little did I know that I was in a class with the wannabe Rockettes. They flung their legs up to the top of the bike and touched their noses to their knees. I was shook. Considering the fact that  I can't even touch my toes and had zero energy to stretch, I put my leg up about 1/4 of the height of the other girls and reached as far as I could, which meant I only touched my mid-calf.

Overall, that class was brutal. However, I need a killer workout to push me to be better. I will remain stagnant in my fitness goals if I just do things that are easy. I will definitley try to go to at least one cycling class a week from now on. I need a little bit more fire in my life.