Indoor Cycling (AKA Spinning) and why you should be doing it!

Contributed by Andrew Blair

Certifications:  Schwinn Cycling Instructor, Can-Fit PTS, & TRX Suspension Training Instructor.

Indoor Cycling Instructor at: 

Lifetime Athletic (Tuesday 6:30pm)

Gears Bike Shop (Port Credit, Monday 6pm and 7:30pm)

& Clay Canada (Classes TBD)

First, let’s clear up an old myth about indoor cycling being like a cruel form of torture!  The truth is that indoor cycling is probably one of the most inclusive forms of group exercise, for all ages and fitness levels.  When you take part in an indoor cycling class you are in charge of your resistance knob and the instructor is only there as a form of motivation.  As a result, unlike other forms of group exercise, you can take it at your own pace, listen to your body and make adjustments to the routine based on your fitness level, without any of the other participants being any the wiser.  This is why indoor cycling is such a great form of group exercise; the playing field is level, as each participant takes away exactly what he or she puts into the class.

People always ask the question “how is indoor cycling going to benefit me?”  The answer to that is simple.  Indoor cycling helps to develop a strong cardiovascular system, improved aerobic base, with gains in muscular endurance and strength, as well as anaerobic capacity and threshold output.  But how exactly do participants achieve all these great benefits?  It’s simple, they just have to follow the instructors’ cues and use the resistance knob accordingly on the bike!

This is why; out of all the types of cardiovascular equipment, instructors are needed to guide these types of classes.  It has a lot to do with coaching your participants to strive to achieve their total health objectives.  Without the cues from an instructor to add more resistance, thereby producing a higher power output, participants could spin for an hour with little to no resistance and get minimal benefits for their efforts.  

As an indoor cycling instructor, for 10 years now, my job is pretty clear, motivate people to achieve their fitness goals and do so at their own pace and ability.  You can have a class with a wide range of ages and abilities.  The key to individual success is the resistance knob on the bike.  It allows all the participants to work at their own fitness levels, while heading towards the same goal; improved health.  

The challenge faced by instructors is to coach the participants to work within their individual fitness levels, while cuing them to increase their power output.  The real benefit of indoor cycling will only come when the participants begin to work at a higher output of power.  Power, in the end, is what translates directly to calories burned, with increases in all the benefits stated above. 

Indoor cycling is also a great option for people looking to cross train.  It is a non-impactful form of exercise where participants can get a hard session in with minimal wear and tear on the body.  Indoor cycling provides the athlete with an alternative method to achieve results, while producing greater average workout intensity, then if they continued to only do sport specific training.   They can produce more beneficial training gains by adding in this non-impactful exercise, while reducing the chance of any overuse injuries so commonly seen with people who don’t cross-train.

With everything stated above I hope it is obvious that indoor cycling is a great choice of cardiovascular exercise.  It is inclusive, FUN, addictive and has many benefits for its participants.  But I would have to say that the biggest plus of indoor cycling is that it creates a sense of community.  Everyone who participates in indoor cycling classes is working towards a common goal, improved health.  I challenge all of you regardless of your fitness level or ability, to try out an indoor cycling session.  It changed my life; maybe it can change yours too.  

For Improved Running Performance Just Head for the Hills

Contributed by: Christine Blanchette of www.christineruns.com (Twitter: christineruns)

There is an old saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  Actually, the exact quote goes, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” an original by noted German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, who died in 1900 at 55.  If a man that barely saw the beginning of the 20^th century could come up with such a timeless quote, he probably would have made a great hill runner because he surely understood the concept of what it takes.

There are many novice runners, myself included that would avoid hills like the plague.  We just said no to the torture of legs turned to rubber while gasping like fish out of water to the summit of what could only be described as Mount Everest II.  It was far from an enjoyable experience but as I got used to running hills I began to appreciate what they were doing for my body. I developed stronger legs and became a stronger runner. Now, I run for the hills and enjoy it.  Everest II, it turned out, was just about 600 meters long and not really that steep. The enormously talented Kenyan and Ethiopian marathon runners are accustomed to extremely hilly terrain. I include hill training at least once a week and if you live in a hilly area then the hills become part of your daily workout.

In a recent email interview with Dr. Jack Scaff, the Honolulu resident known as, “The Father of Running” in Hawaii, he shared his expertise on hill training.  In his book, ‘Your First Marathon, the Last Chapter in Long Distance Running,’ hill training is covered extensively.

“Hill running is good strength training, however it tends to be anaerobic,” Dr. Scaff said. “When one approaches a hill, one should run perpendicular to the horizon, shorten their stride and come off the backside of the hill or downhill using the same type of stride - short steps going up the hill, the same short steps coming down, longer strides on the flat and no pounding at any time.”

By including hills as part of your running program you will reap the benefits of becoming a better runner. Most races have hills and you will be better prepared to tackle the hill both mentally and physically.

Dr. Scaff advises, “Most running injuries secondary to hill training seem to occur on the down slope and while one might attribute this to the so-called "pounding" actually it's an expression of “eccentric work.”

He further comments, “Remember, the only function of a muscle fiber is to contract and the belly of the muscle fiber gets thicker.  Look at your biceps in the arm as you lift a weight, you will note they get thicker and as the muscle fibers (align) themselves with each other (known as recruitment) increasing in strength.  So when one is lifting a barbell it’s harder with the arm fully extended than suddenly becomes easier in the mid portion of the lift secondary to recruitment. Running downhill is a paradox since all the muscle can do is contract.   As you run down hill, the muscle must relax at the same time while it is trying to contract.  And of course this decreases recruitment as well as subjects the muscle to a greater potential for injury.  Running with a similar stride or a shorter stride downhill than that used going uphill helps prevent this.”

You should pick a hill that is suited for your training.  For average runners, choose a hill that takes about 90 seconds to run.  

How to run a hill: head up, pump your arms, lean slightly forward and run about 80% effort and jog or walk on the way down.  Repeat six to 10 times.

So there you have it – the next time you see a hill, just tackle it and think of it as part of your normal running routine. The more hills you run the easier it becomes – and the stronger you will become.