Spinning to Lose Weight: 5 Helpful Tips to Get You Started

1. Spinning to Lose Weight: 5 Helpful Tips to Get You Started Whether you call it indoor cycling or spinning, pedaling a stationary bike for a solid 30 to 60 minutes is a great workout. It also qualifies as low impact exercise. For a lot of people, low impact is just what they need to help them lose weight. Indoor cycling can certainly do that. We all know how important regular exercise is to good health. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, exercise is going to have to be part of the program. We recommend indoor cycling as an exercise choice. Obviously, you can ride a stationary bike at home or join us in our Salt Lake City spin studio for classes. In either case, here are five helpful tips to get you started: 1. Modify Your Diet Exercise alone is not going to help you reach your goals. You have to combine exercise with good eating habits. So before you start making plans for daily indoor cycling sessions, get with a doctor or nutritionist who can help you revamp your diet. A modified diet will be your most effective tool for losing weight and keeping it off. For the record, we recommend working with a professional so that you avoid the diet yo-yo. In other words, we are not advising that you merely go on a diet. We are advising that you permanently change your eating habits – along with exercising. Changing the way you eat will be key to keeping off the weight you lose through cycling. 2. Establish a Routine Next, establishing a regular exercise routine can go a long way toward keeping you on schedule. Think about choosing a set time every day you will spend on the bike.

2. Block out that time so nothing else interferes. Then commit to it the same way you would commit to streaming your favorite TV shows. 3. Look for an Accountability Partner Both exercise and changing your eating habits will not be easy. There will be plenty of temptations to skip a day here or there. And once you skip one day, it is easier to skip another. How do you deal with such temptations? By finding an accountability partner. You might find someone who is willing to join you for exercise and diet modification. You could hold one another accountable. If not, a family member or friend who is at least willing to check on you daily can keep you on track. 4. Consider Taking a Class Indoor cycling classes, or spinning classes if you prefer, can be a big help if you are having trouble establishing a routine or finding an accountability partner. We established the routine for you by scheduling classes at regular intervals. Sign up for a series of classes and you are more likely to stick with them. Why? Because you have spent the money. At the same time, the other cyclists in your class become your accountability partners. With every session you talk, encourage one another, carry one another through the struggles, etc. 5. Get Your Bike Fitted In the absence of regular cycling classes, we recommend getting your home bike fitted properly. There is a reason for this. An improperly fitted bike will make your exercise both inefficient and unnecessarily difficult. A proper fit ensures you are getting the maximum benefit from cycling. Combined with dietary changes, indoor cycling can be a great tool for losing weight. And once the weight is gone, continuing to exercise and eat right will ensure you keep it off.