FitSugar

Get the Bod: Katie Holmes

FitSugarTV — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:16:34 PST

Last year, Katie Holmes worked out on her birthday. The actress is a huge fan of spinning, and to celebrate her b-day, we're bringing you tips from her her spin instructor, Audrey Adler. Learn three moves Audrey using a stationary bike to tone your legs and bum. This video is full of great tips to help you maximize your indoor cycling workout and take it to the next level. Bike on!

Would You Pay to Take a Spin Class?

Michele Foley — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:21:59 PDT

Judging from the latest trend in fitness, what's old is new again. Indoor cycling is all the rage, and it's moving beyond drop-in classes at the gym. Contributing to the hybrid fitness craze is a new wave of classes that combine spin with either yoga or strength training. LA-based Yas is a hybrid of yoga and spinning, while New York's SoulCycle turns indoor cycling into a total body workout - students use resistance bands or hand weights to work their upper body while also cycling.

Besides hybrid spinning classes, indoor cycling studios seem to be on the rise. Flywheel, a national chain, is having no problems getting people to come in for its $25 indoor cycling classes. The company has plans to open locations in seven more cities within the next six months.

The idea of paying for a spin class might seem crazy, but it wasn't too long ago that going to a yoga studio had people scratching their heads. The benefits of an indoor cycling studios are many: abundant bikes, complimentary cycling shoes, and a wide variety of classes. These studios also offer the latest stationary bikes and have the kind of amenities you'd expect from any upscale studio or gym.

Source

Taking Your First Spinning Class - Not as Scary as You Think!

Michele Foley — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:26:52 PDT

Spin class can be downright intimidating. The padded shorts and cycling shoes many people wear to class make it seem intense and exclusive, and the loud music and even louder instructor help raise the scare factor. The truth is, while an indoor cycling class is an intense cardio workout - one 45-minute class can burn upwards of 500 calories! - it doesn't have to be scary.

What to wear
Since you will be sweating, choose moisture-wicking clothes with good breathability. Regular athletic shoes will do fine - there's no need to invest in cycling shoes until you know the class is for you. Bring water and two towels to class; throw one towel over your handlebars and use the other to wipe the sweat off of you during class.

When to arrive
If your gym doesn't have an online reservation system, get there early to reserve a bike. The sign-up sheet is usually put out an hour before class starts (either at the front desk or hanging outside the classroom). In my experience, the list starts to fill 20 minutes before class starts. If this will be your first class, get to the room 10 minutes early. This will allow you time to talk to the instructor and get help setting up your bike. If the instructor isn't there yet, don't be afraid to ask someone around you for help. Not having your bike set up properly can result in lower back, knee, or shoulder pain. Before class begins, ask if there is any special spinning jargon or hand positions you should know about.

What to expect
The instructor will guide you through the workout, telling you when to increase or lower resistance, pedal faster, and rise or sit. You'll be guided through climbs, sprints, and muscle isolations with intermittent lower-resistance pedaling during cruising periods. There's high-energy music blasting that keeps you moving for the entire class, and you'll sweat - a lot. Remember that you are ultimately in control. If you need to alter the instructions to make it through the class, go ahead and decrease the tension. As time goes on, you'll be sure to build up your strength and endurance!

Source: Yas

New Hybrid Class: Spinning and Yoga

Susi May — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:36:43 PDT

Since the new millennium rolled around, it seems like the ancient practice of yoga has been mixed with almost every form of exercise, from the Pilates hybrid Yogalates to kickboxing's Koga. A new yoga mashup is making its way into the fitness world: yoga and spinning. Before your third eye conjures up images of holding a downward-facing dog while clipped in on a stationary bike, let me explain that the 60-minute classes are divided into two half-hour segments: 30 minutes of spin followed by 30 minutes of yoga. After taking a class at YAS Fitness Center in LA recently, I can attest that this blend makes great sense.

Keep reading to learn more about this new hybrid class.

How to Stretch It Out After Indoor Cycling Class

Susi May — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:30:40 PST

Indoor cycling offers an hour of sweaty cardio goodness. Your legs power this workout, so it’s best to stretch those tired muscles as soon as you hop off your stationary bike. In fact, that stable bike makes for a great stretching partner.

If you only have two minutes to spare on flexibility training, you should focus on your hamstrings and quads. Start with your hamstrings by resting one heel on the crook of the bike and leaning forward with a flat back, doing this basic hamstring stretch. And if you’re super flexible, you can put your foot on the bike seat. Next, you want to stretch your quads by bringing one heel to your bum, like this to stretch the front of your thigh. Squeeze your glutes and bend your standing knee to increase the stretch, and do hold onto that heavy, stable bike for balance. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

If you have a bit more time, you should stretch your glutes. Using the bike, you can do this variation of the ultimate booty stretch from yoga - pigeon pose. Moving down the legs, next on the list is your calves. You can stretch them on the bike by bringing the pedals parallel to the ground (one forward and one back), and dropping your heels to lengthen the muscles on the back of the lower leg (be sure to do this stretch once with the right leg forward and once with the left). Or off the bike, flex your foot placing the toes on the base of the bike keeping your heel on the ground similar to the "kiss the wall" stretch. Lean forward to stretch your calf.

I still have a few more stretches to recommend, so keep on reading.

Lo Bosworth Needs Her Butt Kicked by Someone Else, Do You?

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:47:14 PDT

Lo Bosworth may be into boxing, but she's also into spinning at Equinox. The Hills actress tells People,

"As far as fitness, I love indoor cycling - it has made a really big difference. I feel a lot skinnier than I did last year. It’s kind of the ultimate cardio."

She admits that exercising with a group class and an instructor who pushes you is majorly motivating. Lo adds,

"Because if I'm by myself, I go to the gym and do 15 reps. And then I’m like, 'Oh, my e-mail. I need to make a phone call.'"

Because I'm somewhat competitive, I do a pretty good job of pushing myself through an intense sweat session, but I do love the occasional tush whooping from a badass trainer or instructor. Tell me, do you prefer kicking your own butt or having someone kick it for you?

Get Fit For 2010: Favorite Workout

Fit Community — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:00:17 PST

This week's challenge for the Get Fit For 2010 giveaway is to share a workout that works for you. Here's why FitSugar reader acfreema adores morning workouts.

Spinning class is the BEST possible way for me to get my week started. The Monday morning teacher is super tough. I tackle sprints, hills, intervals, standing, sitting, climbing and sweat a ton all before 7 a.m. It makes me feel like anything else I'll encounter during the day will be a piece of cake. After the class, I have to take lots of time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h or I'll be hobbling up the stairs later.

Once it warms up, I change spinning up for nice long sunrise runs. There's a bike trail near my house, and as soon as it's not dark out anymore in the morning I'll be able to head out with a running mix on my iPod. I see the same cute elderly couple walking their dog, a few other runners that I'm on "waving" terms with, and for a special treat I stop at Starbucks for a nice iced latte for my cool-down walk.

For me, heaven = early morning exercise.

I'd love to hear about more readers' workouts, so join our Get Fit For 2010 community group and write a blog post about your favorite workouts. By participating, you'll not only be on your way to a healthier you, but you'll also be entered into the drawing for our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card as well as an awesome grand prize.

Spinning Hands Cheat Sheet

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:00:10 PST

When the ground is covered with snow, getting your fitness on outdoors can be quite a challenge. Spinning is one of the best ways to keep your cardio up during the cold months of Winter without braving the elements, so be sure to check out a class. Like every workout, though, there is some jargon involved, and some spin instructors throw out numbers for the hand positions without explaining exactly where you are supposed to grip the handlebars. Not all classes use these hand positions, but if you take a class trademarked as Spinning, you will likely hear these numbers coming from your spin instructor as she tells you to stand and sprint. Here is a little cheat sheet so you know where your hands go while you pedal away.

Position 1: Hands placed in the center of the handles. You can place the hands one on top of the other in this position. This is a good spot when warming up, cooling down, or recovering from a sprint interval.
Position 2: Hands are just inside the upward curve on the handle bars. This is where your hands will most likely be for most of the class.
Position 3: Hands hold on to the top of the handles. This position should really only be used when standing for a climb. If you use it seated, you can strain your back.

Do you spin? Tell me how you feel about spinning in the comments section below.

Guess Who Tweeted It?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:00:28 PST

Guess which Hills star updated her Twitter account with this message?

"Off to spin [class] I go!"

Nicole Kidman: Running Is a Family Thing

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:50:20 PST

In the latest issue of British magazine SHE, Nicole Kidman opens up about health and wellness, confessing that running, well, runs in the family. Nicole tells SHE, "It’s what my dad taught us - he’s a marathon runner. He’s 71 and goes on 10-mile runs." Nicole says that her papa also likes to go hiking for hours at a time.

It looks like dad's lesson paid off. Nicole is seen running around town or hitting the gym pretty often - she even went to spinning classes while pregnant with baby Sunday Rose! Nicole must have chosen spinning when she was pregnant because it's easy on the joints.

The actress also gives a little insight into how she maintains that svelte frame of hers - it's genetics! It can be hard to stay healthy when you're on a road trip, something Nicole knows all too well when touring with her hubby, country musician Keith Urban: "As Keith's a musician there are pit stops at Wendy’s, but I’m six-foot tall, so it’s not weight that’s an issue for me, but things like cholesterol."

We imagine that Nicole will be spending a lot of time on the road this week promoting Nine before its Dec. 25 release. Hopefully, she has some tips for staying healthy when eating out. If not, we've got a few to share with her, like splitting a massive sized entrée or having starters as a main course.