What is Studio Cycling?

Most gyms and fitness centers today offer studio cycling, which is essentially indoor cycling for fitness. This type of exercise can also be called spinning, and it can be a strenuous activity meant to burn calories and build muscle or a good way to simply ramp the heart rate up to promote heart health. in either case, a person participating in studio cycling will climb atop a stationary bike and spin for up to an hour at various speeds and resistance.

Most fitness centers offer studio cycling classes, in which an instructor guides participants through an often rigorous forty minutes to an hour of cycling. Many stationary bikes offer adjustable resistance levels, meaning a cyclist can adjust how hard or easy they pedal to simulate climbs, descents, and sprints. Studio cycling is a good cardiovascular workout and allows the cyclist to burn a large amount of calories in a short amount of time. In addition, studio cycling is a great leg and thigh workout that can build muscle and add tone.

A studio cycling class, also known as a spin class, can be adjusted to the rider's experience and fitness level. Beginner classes will often be shorter and less intense, while more experience cyclists will benefit from a longer session that is more intense and fast-paced. A good instructor will walk around the room to help participants adjust their technique for optimum results.

Be sure to consider what equipment is necessary for studio cycling; because the stationary bikes try to mimic real bicycles as closely as possible, a participant will find the seats just as narrow and sometimes uncomfortable as regular bike seats. Therefore, a good pair of padded cycling shorts might be a good investment to save the rider from chafing, sores, and other types of discomfort. In addition, many cycling studios have stationary bikes that use a certain type of pedal called clipless pedals. These pedals require a special cycling shoe that attaches to the pedal to create a more powerful and efficient pedal stroke. While the studio itself will often provide the pedals, the rider will have to purchase his or her own shoes to work in conjunction with them. Most studios will offer to swap out these pedals for regular platform pedals, however, which will prevent the rider from having to purchase special shoes.