Elliptical Trainers or Trainer or Spin Class?

[surgtech1956]

I appreciate all your advice. My main objective is to exercise throughout the winter whatever it maybe. In the past I haven't done well with home equipment. I would like to take up running again but don't know if the ankle will tolerate. Ive cross country skied but in Michigan it's kinda hit or miss with the snow at least until after January.

[Aggie_Ama]

My preference of all is spin class. I love the challenge, the energy of the group setting, the quality of the workout. I have found it is very important to click with the instructor, some at my gym don't use cadence/gear which I prefer. I went to one 6:00am spin class where the instructor seemed bored and not energetic, definitely hard to want to follow at that time of morning! What I don't like about spin (at my gym at least) is you don't know what workout it will be. Sometimes it is hill focus, sometimes lots of sprints. If you like to pick your goal (important in race season for me) it is a little annoying. But the trainer is so hard for me to get pumped about, has to be connected to my bike, brought out, I have sweat all over the mat (airflow seems better at the gym), my dogs stare at me like I am stupid .

[Crankin]

Our x country ski season is also mostly January and February. We can drive up to NH or Vermont and maybe see snow in Dec. And even in Jan and Feb., there is not much local skiing... we drive about an hour to a really good x country place that has snow when we have green grass. There is a local place which is good after a storm, but after all of the yahoos come here from the city, the trails are trashed. Have you thought of snow shoeing? That I can do out of my door.
I ride through the first week in December usually. In November, I transition by including a lot of hiking with some riding, yoga and core work. I am thinking of joining some kind of group exercise place for the winter, maybe personal training and spin Dec- March. I have a trainer, but I rarely work that hard on it. It's just boring, but I I love the freedom of having a mini gym in my home and not having to go to a gym at 5 AM.