Thinking of "spinning"

[bmccasland]

Before I drop my gym membership (new FREE gym opening in my office bldg), it was suggested I try the Spinning class.
So my question is, aside from the aerobic workout, what are the spin classes like? Is there hope for mid-class riders with asthma?? I WANT to go fast, my lungs on the otherhand can be uncooperative. (and yes, I have appropriate meds from my Dr.)
I admit I've been a slug, haven't been on my bike for a couple of months, and need to do something.

[Offthegrid]

Spinning goes something like this:

1. Walk in. Find a bike. Feel self-conscious about the bike shorts. Adjust the bike. Look at the clock and wonder if you should start warming up now because you don't know how long the instructor will take to get there. You have plenty of water with you and a towel.

2. Everyone else is pedaling, so you get on to start warming up. The instructor takes another 5 minutes to show up because you were good and early.

3. Instructor turns on loud, thumping music. Hopefully it's something you like. You do some stretches and such on the bike to warm up.

4. You suffer for 45 minutes. You'll do standing drills, sprints, simulated hill climbs. Instructor might divide class up into sections to do some sprints. But guess what? You're in control of the resistance, so you can really set the workout to be as easy or as hard as you like. If you're on an actual spinning bike, you can't coast. This takes some getting used to.

5. You do some on-the-bike stretches at the end. You're dripping in sweat. You feel incredible. You vow to come back.

[emily_in_nc]

I have asthma too. I recently tried Advair on my doctor's recommendation, and now I can spin (well, ride the trainer at home), hike, ride, and even run with no asthma issues whatsoever. Your lungs should not be holding you back if your asthma is properly controlled. Lack of fitness, yes, but not asthma. You might want to check back with your doctor to see if an adjustment or change in meds is warrented.

Good luck!
Emily

[indysteel]

Spinning goes something like this:

1. Walk in. Find a bike. Feel self-conscious about the bike shorts. Adjust the bike. Look at the clock and wonder if you should start warming up now because you don't know how long the instructor will take to get there. You have plenty of water with you and a towel.

2. Everyone else is pedaling, so you get on to start warming up. The instructor takes another 5 minutes to show up because you were good and early.

3. Instructor turns on loud, thumping music. Hopefully it's something you like. You do some stretches and such on the bike to warm up.

4. You suffer for 45 minutes. You'll do standing drills, sprints, simulated hill climbs. Instructor might divide class up into sections to do some sprints. But guess what? You're in control of the resistance, so you can really set the workout to be as easy or as hard as you like. If you're on an actual spinning bike, you can't coast. This takes some getting used to.

5. You do some on-the-bike stretches at the end. You're dripping in sweat. You feel incredible. You vow to come back.

Susie, your description is dead on. Including the feeling incredible part. While the group mentality pushes you, you can make it as difficult or as easy as you want/need. Assuming in the instructor is decent, it's a lot of fun.

I definitely recommend wearing a heart rate monitor during spin class. When the instructor tells us to be at a certain level, the monitor definitely helps me gauge that.

Have fun with it!

Kate

[DarkEros07]

I would seriously recomend that you go back and talk to your doctor about getting on Advair discus. I went to a military accadamy and we had to run a mile everyday and because of my asthma problems it was hard I even almost went to hospital the first week because I hadnt been takeing my advair before going there. about 2 weeks later i could run jump do pushups do the obstical course and everything i have no limitations when it comes to my breathing now. i have had asthma since i was about 5 and i will be 21 this year and Advair diskus is the best i take the 100/50 it is quite exspensive about 250 per 30 day supply but if you order from canada its about 300 for a 3 month supply. lol. thats what my dad did for me. i never had to worry about it. i kept it in my wall locker and took it at 530 am and 530pm and i was fine i still carried my rescue inhaler with me everywhere but used it maybe 4 times a month and that was only when i was either a) sick b) got into some pollen or mold c) one of the idiots had perfume on. it works great and is well worth the exspense. hope this helps you!

i have been on seravent, flovent, and a few others and i have to say this is the best. also my mom is a chronic lunger she has copd and she takes the advair 500/50 and spiriva and does breathing treatments so if you are getting winded and having problems please go to your doc and ask for something either stronger or better because you dont want to get scaring in your lungs. trust me. im only 20 and have scarred lungs! yikes!

-Kristen-

[han-grrl]

I have had participants in my class with asthma, and i recommend bringing in their inhaler to class.

Classes can get warm, fans help, but the nature of spinning is , you are sweating and the air circulation is not great, even with air conditioning and fans. so the air can get "thick" for those who are sensitive to it. you might want to pick a bike that is close to a fan to help with your breathing...

spinning is similar to riding outdoors, but not 100%. the main thing is that you are CONTINUOUSLY pedalling for the whole class. no coasting. which can be hard on those new to the class, so take things at your own pace, and slow to start.

have fun!

hannah

[alpinerabbit]

Two addenda

• you do not have to do everything the instructor shows: jumps and standing runs are hard on your cardiovascular system. My fave instructor suggests to remain seated if you want to build some muscle.
• 2 hours is better than one (j/k, but I like it)

[emily_in_nc]

Also, re. Advair, if you have health insurance that covers prescriptions, it's not nearly as expensive as DarkEros mentioned. In 2006 I paid $15 for an Advair 100/50 (the lowest dosage) diskus (30 days usage) through the mail order pharmacy. It's just gone up to $25 this year since my insurance isn't picking up as much, so our co-pays are higher. Still, less than a buck a day to breathe easily is worth every penny. I'd pay more if I had to, but probably not $250/month (is that really what you pay, DarkEros??? Wow, if so! I don't think it's even that much here in NC without insurance! I know it's over $100, but I don't think it's over $200....I could be wrong, though. Thank heavens for insurance, and it's a crying shame that not everyone in the US has it.

Emily

[bmccasland]

Ladies, thanks for the suggestions - especially about meds that work. I currently take flovent daily and seravent before riding, so wanted to try this combo with spinning before I go back to see my doctor mid-february. He has me charting my peak flow, so I earn bonus points when I give him a computer generated chart with the data neatly displayed . Always fun to see the look on the current intern-in-tow's face. Apparently I'm only one of two of Doc's patients that present data this way. Seemed the easiest way to me to make sense of a table of numbers...

Anywho, barring hell or high water - and we've already had that , I'll be going to spin class monday afternoon. Will let you know how it goes.

Take my water bottle, towel, biking shoes, rescue inhaler.... and keep a "I can do this attitude."

[DarkEros07]

Emily,

Yea its that exspensive here in michigan. It sucks. I keep forgetting that normal people have insurance! lol I currently don't have insurance. Hubby doesn't make enough to buy my advair so I'm mostly dependant on my resuce inhaler. We are trying to look for some type of insurance that would be better for him to get to put me on the plan but the one at his work is about 200 a month for me and him to be on it so i figure that we just dont even do that. Without me on it its 2 dollars a week. I hate his work. Soon as we get our new car I am going to get my CNA liscense again(got it in fl and lapsed on it havent worked since 2003) Of course if you have insurance then it is considerably cheaper and I hope that you do have insurance. It so far is the only persciption that has worked for me. Flovent made me horribly sick and the doctor tried to tell me its not possible. lol. he doesn't know much about me. I am sensitive to a few meds. like codine*cant sleep while on it* and vicodin*makes me very angery* adn anything with orange dye in it sends me to the hospital with a sever asthma attack.

I hope that if your doctor does decide to switch you that you do really good on it. It seems to work very well for everyone I have ever met who is on it.

GOOD LUCK! I bet its exciteing! I just bought me a stationary bike last night. lol. havent even put it together yet. k mart has them for 79 dollars but this week they are 89 doesnt make sense to me but whatever! lol. keep going and dont let asthma get you down! you are very intuned with taking care of your asthma and i think thats great! doesnt that peak flow suck to do? i always hated to do it! lol. anyways i will let you go.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

-Kristen-

[emily_in_nc]

Kristen,

Did you know that you can order Rx meds online, so long as you have a valid prescription? It might pay to check around. For instance, the very first place I checked has Advair 100/50 diskus for $157. Still horribly expensive, but better than what you're paying by quite a bit. Here's the link.
If you check some different sites online, you might find it for even less.

Not having insurance does suck. Health, prescription, dental, and vision insurance are almost more important to me than my salary! I'm lucky to have a good job with good benefits, but every year we have to pay a higher % out of pocket as the company cuts back on what it pays.

I agree -- everyone I've ever heard of who's tried Advair has raved about it. I haven't had to use albuterol since I started Advair, and I used to have to use it before every ride, hike, etc. Albuterol is much less costly than Advair but raises my heart rate considerably. You're really not supposed to have to use it more than a couple of times a week.

Emily

[Crankin]

Well, I had to stop taking Advair. It made me dizzy and felt just plain weird. I was sick when i took it, so I usually don't have asthma problems unless it's an illness related thing. I would try it again, but I also react very strangely to most medications.

[DarkEros07]

Emily,

Thanks! I keep forgetting I can order things online! lol. Albuterol here is 19.50 so its not that bad. but having to use it all the time is. I have a few advair diskus's left but some are expired and they said i can use them as long as its like only a few months so i am useing them up untill i am out then i will have to find some way to get more. anyways off to get pizza! lol. gotta feed the nephews! and the Husband! bye.

-Kristen-

[Bad JuJu]

Hey, Beth-Mc--Just wanted to say we're running neck-and-neck here--I just started spinning again last week, after about a 5-year layoff (injuries, gym too far from work, plain unadulterated laziness, etc.). The gorgeous new gym at the university where I teach now offers spinning classes that fit into my schedule, so last Monday I gave it a ..... spin.

Man, was that ever a workout!!! But this 54-year-old hung in with the 20-somethings for the whole time--not always at the same tension of course, but pedaling the whole time. It challenged me mightily, but like Offthegrid said, I can't wait to go back this afternoon!

[bmccasland]

The couch potato in me was over-ridden and I went to class.... Survived the whole hour I did

After I discovered the TE Spin forum - sometimes the flare-for-the-obvious lightbulb is glowing pretty dim - I read up on spinning, and things to be careful of. The instructor asked for "who's new' and then went over things with me, checking fit of bike, hand position, where I should be in the standing exercises, etc. So I felt pretty confident.

OK I admit, I couldn't do much of the standing stuff, breathing got out of control, so I concentrated on keeping my feet moving in circles, breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth... but I kept moving. I'm beat, but I'll go back.

Emily - yes, I have health insurance, so price of meds isn't a major issue for me. I think Advair is a combo of Flovent and Seravent. I got the jitters when I took F&S together without working out, wouldn't want to live with that on a daily basis. We'll see what Doc says when he sees my peak flow data.

Bad Juju - hang in there, we can do it!

Thanks everyone for the info and encouragement. For off season, spinning may be fun, but I still like riding outside better. At least I can concentrate on form and not worry about riding off the levee or hitting something.