The Top 10 Benefits of Spinning® Class
Posted by Spinning® on Apr 18th 2018
UPDATED ON JULY 28, 2021
Spinning® may conjure “fun” to some and “sweat” to others. Yet no one can deny the extensive list of health and fitness benefits of Spinning® – including though not limited to physical, mental and even social boons. From slimming down the physique you see in the mirror to the invigorating experience of a Spinning® class with like-minded fitness enthusiasts…the list of benefits is extensive.
We’re sharing the top ten benefits of Spinning® here and now, so you know what to expect if you’re a newbie or so you can reflect on all you gain from Spinning® if you’re already a pro on the bike. Enjoy!
1. Turn that Caloric Burn up a Notch
Hands down, Spinning® offers one of the highest caloric burn returns of any workout you can do. In the study Heart Rate Response and Calories Burned in a Spinning® Workout, subjects burned between 7.2 to 13.6 calories per minute. Total calories burned during a 40-minute Spinning® workout ranged from 467 to 617 calories. Consider that in the context of another popular activity, Hatha Yoga, which burns 240 to 356 calories per hour. Plus, thanks to the science of EPOC the “afterburn effect” means that you’ll continue to burn more calories even after your ride!
Expert Tip: Pair your ride with a heart rate monitor for an estimate of the amount of calories you burn during a ride. Better yet, since a power meter measures the wattage generated, it tells you the accurate amount of energy (calories) expended as expressed in kJs (kilojoules).
2. Strengthen Your Heart
Through aerobic and anaerobic training of Spinning® workouts, you will improve your heart’s stroke volume. This is the volume of blood pumped out of the heart’s left ventricle to the rest of the body with each heartbeat. So an increased stroke volume means that your heart pumps out more blood with each stroke. In fact, your left ventricle can actually grow in size due to increased stroke volume! What does this mean? You want to protect your heart?! Hop on a Spinner® bike!
3. Be Kind to Your Joints and Go Easy on Your Knees
Spinning® puts far less pressure on your knees and your feet than other traditional cardio alternatives. With the ability to work hard on a Spinner® bike without impact, you can focus on results without discomfort. In fact, indoor cycling low-impact workouts accommodate ailments, are easy on injuries, support joint and tendon health, and are excellent for the longevity of your fitness regime.
In this study – The Effects of Group Cycling (Spinning®) With Knee Osteoarthritis – indoor cycling (Spinning® specifically!) was shown to improve gait, pain levels and physical functioning for those suffering from osteoarthritis [1]. What does this imply? Spinning® can actually be good for your knees!
4. Get Ready for Race Day
Spinning® relies upon the same techniques as outdoor cycling. In fact, the Spinner® bike has the same geometry as an outdoor bike and was born from the road. It unites innovation in indoor stationary bike technology with an unprecedented cycling experience on the road. This means you can train realistically for your race on a Spinner® bike. You can even wear the same shoes and clip in just like you would outdoors. Though there is one major benefit to Spinning® versus road riding – no helmet required!
Interested to learn more about the origins of Spinning®? Watch this video!
5. Enhance Your Mental Strength
Spinning® can also help you develop a “can-do” attitude. Spinning® builds mental strength because as you’ll find the more you ride, there are easier days and then there are harder days on the bike. The important detail to remember is that you can ride through it all. Push through difficult hill climbs and coast through the flats. Both are a part of your time on the bike. This mental self-discipline increases with each pedal stroke and can be applied to other areas of your life involving self-control or confidence. As we like to say – you got this!
6. Set Your Own Pace
In every Spinning® class, whether in-person at a studio or via Spinning® Digital, everyone rides together regardless of age, size, ability or experience. You’re in command of your intensity each moment of your ride because you control both cadence and resistance on the bike. A beginner can climb a steep hill alongside a professional cyclist and they will reach the summit together – each one finding the amount of challenge and effort that’s right for them. It’s all about your own personal ride.
7. Use Apps to Track Your Performance and Goals
With Spinning®, the power truly is in your hands to monitor, track and measure your performance with each ride. Whether it be out on the road, in your living room with on-demand videos, in a class with an instructor, or even on the instructor stage – there’s a Spinning® mobile app that will keep you connected, motivated and on track to crush those goals.
Spinning® Connect™ provides real-time metrics, workout history, customizable training zones and more when you’re on a Spinner® bike or riding out on the road. It’s the perfect companion app to Spinning® Digital, which gives you on-demand videos with motivating instructors so you can hop on your bike and ride 24/7.
Spinning® Digital Plus combines the videos with real-time, personalized metrics, zones and calories burned, as well as your workout history.
Check out this chart to help determine which App is best for you.
RELATED READING: If you’d like to learn more about some of the metrics like heart rate, cadence and power you can track with these Apps, read this: What Do Your Metrics Mean?! - Spinning®
8. Ride Here, There or Anywhere
As the creators of indoor cycling, we strive to use our resources to give you the availability you need to stay active and in shape around the clock – from any locale! Homebodies and globetrotters alike can ride with ease and little concern over the availability of equipment or nearby class locations.
Find Classes Across the Globe: If the number of available workout locations is your priority, you’ve come to the perfect place. Today, Spinning® has grown so popular that you can find classes in nearly every corner of the earth. From Mozambique to Manhattan, there’s scarcely a location that doesn’t have a class you can pick up and join. Many resorts, hotels and even cruise ships offer Spinning® classes.
Take it Home with You: For those who are constantly short on time, or, if you simply enjoy the convenience of an at-home workout, you can take the Spinning® experience home with you. Check out the link below for our wide selection of HOMES BIKES and PAIRING APPS.
Mix it Up and Try Both! Experience Spinning® on your own terms – find a class nearby, get a Spinner® bike of your own and try a combination of both to mix up your routine.
9. Join the Spinning® Community That Trains Like a Team
Regardless of fitness level, Spinning® unifies people through a training program that changes lives. Just look to the unified enjoyment you can see on the faces of class full of people striving to achieve their best. That type of collective enjoyment in pursuit of a common goal is truly authentic and inspirational to Spinning®. You don’t just sit in class unaffected by your neighbor – you and your neighbor motivate each other. In those moments, you become more than a group of riders – you become a team.
Riding together also gives you the opportunity to encourage others. You can inspire those who have not yet reached your fitness level; while those stronger than you, inspire you. Working together, everyone who rides can reach his or her own goals and share in the benefits of Spinning® together.
There are also endless ways to connect with the Spinning® community online. Be sure to check out our social networks:
Spinning® (@Spinning® hq) • Instagram
SPIN® Membership Program (Instructors Only)
10. Pursue Educational Opportunities within the Spinning® Network
Chances are your favorite Spinning® instructors got their start by falling in love with Spinning® classes, and you can too! If you’re hooked on all the positive changes that Spinning® brings to your life and want to share that with others, you can become a certified Spinning® instructor! You can also broaden your knowledge about health, fitness and training with an online course or by subscribing to the SPIN® LIFE blog. Check out some of these links to transform your Spinning® lifestyle into a learning journey.