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I have been spinning regularly for over a year now and it is my favorite type of exercise. In the past month or so, I have been experiencing pretty significant soreness/discomfort in my private area during and after spinning class. I don't use a seat cover and just wear regular shorts when spinning. Anyone have any suggestions on how I can resolve this issue?
Thanks!
I would suggest purchasing a good pair of biking shorts. You might also try using Chamois Butter before your spin class.
Hope this helps.
+1 on what Makbike said.
And, if you are sitting on the seat for long periods, make sure to stand up in the pedals every few minutes for a minute or so to promote blood flow.
I used to use a gel seat cover but not anymore.
I used to wear padded shorts but not anymore.
Tonight was my first class wearing tri shorts and I have no problem. Sounds like you're leaning forward putting pressure where it out not to be instead of on your sit bones; you aren't using your core to support yourself.
A lot of people bring their own seats (and seatposts) to spin class, too. There's a lot of discussion on this board about saddle fitment - check it out.
And +1 to what everyone else said. But if you've been spinning for a year and only started having trouble in the last month, what changed? Have you lost weight? Or is something else going on?
How is your position on the bike. I noticed a big improvement (no more pain) when I raised the bars pretty significantly. I thought that the bars needed to be below my seat, but that's not good on a spin bike. Raising the bars puts less pressure on the parts because I'm not leaning forward so much. It also feels better on my back. Same good workout, without the hurt.
Also make sure your seat isn't too high that it causes you to rock side to side. Speaking of rocking, when you spin fast, do you bounce? Alot of people do and it's not good. Good form is more important than cadence of 120+. Keep good form under control. Hopefully this will help.
Oh, and I do wear cycling shorts.
Thanks for all the replies. I do have a pair of cycling shorts, but have never worn them to spin class - I will definitely give it a try. My handlebars are already as high as they go and I don't bounce or rock when I spin, so I don't think its a position or form problem. I have lost a pretty significant amount of weight since I started spinning (40-50 lbs.). How would this affect my comfort level, and what do I do about it?
Thanks again for all the input. This has been causing me a lot of stress lately, so I was excited to find this forum and get some ideas on what to do about my problem!
Congratulations on losing so much weight! That's a good reason for a change in the way your saddle feels. The shape and size of your "contact patch" has changed. I just didn't want us to be overlooking something, since you'd only started having trouble recently. Hopefully a good pair of shorts will take care of it for you, but if not, try some of the other suggestions.
To expand on what Zen said, she's still wearing tri shorts, not regular gym shorts. The amount of padding is a matter of personal preference/fit; what is pretty much undisputed is that you want a seamless, non-cotton, non-bunching surface, whether it's a thick "road" chamois or a thinner "spin" or "tri" chamois.
(And I hate to keep repeating this here, because I get the feeling I'm the only one in the world who didn't figure it out after my first ride... but keep your hair very short :o)
ouch
You know, it is the opposite for me! LOL We are all so different!! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
But, along the lines of stating the obvious...make sure you are not wearing underwear under your biking shorts...
O... I have had much discussion of my lady bits on this site! And thx gawd so for these wonderful understanding female souls... sometimes the boys in the bike shop are not so easy to talk to.
I had this issue for the road bike. Lots of discussion on fit, saddles, etc. As already posted spinning is the same on bike fit in theory... weight on sitz bones, not lady bits. Hopefully you have a good teacher, they should be able to reasses your bike fit.
Perhaps if you have lost alot of weight (Kudos btw, been there, done that too, feels awesome) that could affect your posture.
One other thing that never occured to me to evaluate (until I read it on this site) was gyno related issues. Sometimes as our hormones change post kids, and age, our vaginal tissue thickness, and moisture levels change. Thus all plays into saddle comfort.
So, prior all fit well etc... if the parts themselves are changing, then that could be the culprit. Lots of great info on that in threads here. Just a consideration if a trip to the gyo is anywhere near due.
If you're doing really high cadence work, some lube might help, too. In the race-training spin class, the trainer put out a big bucket of free samples on the night we started to aim for god-awful numbers and strongly suggested applying it. A female trainer who was taking the class made a little joke about how none of the women would be gettin' busy :rolleyes: that night!
If it feels like abrasive/chafing pain, then close-fitting cycling shorts (w/out undies) will go a long way.
If it's soreness, then you are sitting on the saddle wrong (or it is really the wrong saddle for your shape). Are you sitting too close to the nose? Can you feel the saddle under your sit bones or are you sticking your butt out and sitting more on the front? You could be doing that without realizing it because your handlebars are so high (you could be causing more of an inward curve in your lower back--these bikes aren't made to be ridden like cruisers). Is the saddle too nose-up? Maybe try switching bikes.
I never wear shorts to a spin class. If I don't wear cycling gear, I'll at least have some sort of form fitting athletic capri or tight in a performance fabric to eliminate excess sweat buildup there, to bunch and rub less, and they just don't get in my way. A gel seat would be the cheapest option if all else fails (you've tried changing your position, for example) to begin to get some more comfort. However, if you're having a problem with chafing, a decent pair of shorts that fit close to the body and have a smooth, seamless chamois will be a more expensive but more effective way to go.
:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by aicabsolut
Being properly set up can make a huge difference in your comfort. So make sure your saddle height is not too low either. Then you're not distributing your weight properly over the saddle. Most people have saddles too low as opposed to too high (the latter is a little more obvious - it is really uncomfortable).
Proper fore/aft adjustment is another thing. Few indoor cycling instructors know how to properly set up students (although we do cover it in Spinning Orientations - many forget or don't practice enough). Here's how you should set up your saddle:
First, stand next to the saddle, and raise your leg so your thigh is parallel with the saddle (need to be close to it). Raise the height adjustment so that the saddle is about the same as your parallel thigh. this is a "ballpark".
Next, mount the bike and put your heel on the pedal, so the back of the heel is lined up with the back edge of the pedal. Extend that leg towards the ground until the pedal crank is parallel with the seat tube (this is just forward of straight up and down). Does this make sense? Wish I had a photo to put here...
When the heel is on the pedal, and the pedal is in this position, the hip bones should remain level, and you want a STRAIGHT leg - with no play at the knee. If there's a little play, then raise it one. If on the other hand you have to hyperextend the knee, or tip your hips to reach the pedal, then lower it one.
Now, when you put the ball of your foot on the center spindle of the pedal (or clip in if you have the shoes), you should have a slight bend in the knee, about 25-35 degrees (but who has a large protractor?).
Now for fore-aft: Place the crank arms at 3:00 and 9:00 (parallel with the ground). This measurement depends on the fact that you must sit your butt down in the saddle in the right spot - everytime - with pelvis bones on the meatiest part of the saddle. Because if you move a tiny bit, the measurement will change. You need a plumbline (a weight on a string). Have someone measure it for you. Holding the string at the base of your patella (knee cap), the plumbline should fall straight down and the weighted string should intersect the pedal spindle (right around the instep). If not, move the saddle fore or aft and remeasure.
Handlebars indoors are more for comfort, but for people who ride outside, I recommend a position that mimics their handlebar height on their bikes. Indoors you don't have to worry about aerodynamics. But also know that a real high handlebar height won't allow you to use your glutes very efficiently and you won't be very powerful, but for some people who have back or other problems and need the higher handlebars, that doesn't matter.
Hope this helps!
Finishing up my last 3 days of radiation for breast cancer, I started riding on my computrainer. I got a little chaffed on lets just say the "sensitive part of women's bits".
I took out my Silver Sulfadiazine cream which is used to treat open wounds from radiation burns and viola!!
Always consult your physician before trying any creams or meds!!