New Orleans Spinning Classes At Studio 13 Fitness

Come and spin in New Orleans. Cycling classes are a favorite of everyone. Wanna burn calories? Come spin with us. All levels are welcome. Check out this month’s schedule for spin classes in New Orleans.

What Is Spinning?

Here is wikipedia’s definition:

Indoor cycling is a form of high-intensity exercise that involves using a stationary exercise bicycle in a classroom setting.

A typical class involves a single instructor  at the front of the class who leads the participants through routines that are designed to simulate terrain and situations similar to riding a bike outdoors. Some of the movements and positions include hill climbs, sprints and interval training.

A well-trained instructor uses music, motivation and enthusiastic coaching to lead students through a ride that best suits their fitness level and goals. Most instructors will lead what is called an interval ride, this is where students will sprint, run, climb, and jump all in the same ride but there will not be definable pattern to the exercises.

Each person in the class can choose their own goals for the session. Some participants choose to maintain a moderate, aerobic intensity level, while others drive their heart rates higher in intervals of anaerobic activity.

Besides being a great form of aerobic activity (burning between 400-600 calories in 40 minutes), indoor cycling is also beneficial in strengthening the muscles of the lower body. It tones the quadriceps and hamstrings, along with working the back and hips. It can be difficult to stay at the moderate level in a class that is geared towards more intensity.

Check Out Spinning At Studio 13

If the exercise is not done correctly, injuries can occur; problems with the lower back and knees are most common. To avoid injury it is important to make sure the seat position is right for the participant’s height.

The seat should be set at a height such that the leg is fully extended with the foot resting on the pedal. Handlebar height can be adjusted for comfort; less experienced rider may want to set them higher to ease lower back discomfort.

The difficulty of the workout is modulated in three ways:

1. By varying the resistance on a flywheel attached to the pedals. The resistance is controlled by a knob, wheel or lever that the rider operates, causing the flywheel brake (a common bicycle brake, a friction wheel, a magnetic eddy-current brake, a viscoelastic fluid brake, or a strap running around the flywheel) to tighten. On most bikes the brake can be adjusted from completely loose, providing no resistance to pedaling beyond the inertia of the flywheel, to so tight that the rider can not move the pedals. Usually riders who can not pedal at the resistance called out by the instructor are encouraged to ride at a level at which they feel comfortable yet challenged.
2. By changing the cadence (the speed at which the pedals turn). Pedaling slower against high resistance expends more energy than pedaling faster against low resistance.
3. By sitting or standing in various positions:
   • Forward, with hands at the front-most part of the handlebars where the handles are parallel to the sides of the rider’s body, used only when out of the saddle
   • Middle, with hands on the 12-14″ part of the handlebars that crosses the rider’s body
   • Rear, with hands at the center part of the handlebars

Each of these positions works the muscles in slightly different ways. Proper form for standing while pedaling requires the body to be more upright and the back of the legs touching or enveloping the point of the saddle, with the center of gravity directly over the crank. The center of gravity or pressure of body weight should never rest on the handlebars.

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