February 2006

Week of February 19, 2006
Death By Aerobics

I was sick as a dog for several days last week and had to stay home from work. My sinuses were badly infected, and I suffered from ailments ranging from watery eyes and vertigo to hacking up phlegm. Obviously, I could not workout. I was simply too sick to do much of anything but sleep. Even after I went back to work, I did not have the strength to exercise. I wanted to collapse as soon as I got home. Over the weekend, I felt ready for exercise. I missed a good workout, though I decided to avoid the pool for a couple more days.

On Sunday, I rode a recumbent stationary bicycle for a half hour while reading a very good book. Next, I used strength machines and did some light weight lifting. To conclude the session, I ran a half mile on the treadmill. Running is very important to me and I felt anxious about preserving my stamina. I could have run more, but decided to play it smart and take it easy. Usually on Sunday I attend an intense kickboxing class. I could not have handled that, but felt sorry to miss the class.

The next day, I wanted to return to aerobics and went to a class I tried before. It was not very rigorous and thought it would be perfect. However, the kickboxing instructor was substituting for the regular instructor. I knew this class would not be the light-duty cakewalk I anticipated. I had already run a half mile to warm up and felt ready for the challenge. I placed a set of risers under my step bench and began basic stepping. As the intensity of the routine mounted, I found myself out of breath and exhausted. This is not my normal operating procedure. Obviously still congested, I had to slow down, take my time, and concentrate on my breathing. If I forged ahead ignoring the warning signs, I would have fainted. Of course, I could have bowed out of the class, but that would have been too embarrassing. I was embarrassed enough to be walking through the routine like a couch potato. This instructor knows me. I am the most aggressive fit person in her kickboxing class. None of that was apparent during step aerobics.

I worried about my cardio conditioning. How much of it had I lost during that miserable illness? How long would it take to get back to where I was? I was relieved when the step portion of the class ended and we did toning exercises. It has been a long time since I struggled with aerobics. I felt like an out-of-shape beginner and realized how discouraging it must be for people embarking on the long painful journey from the couch to physical fitness. Fortunately, mine is just a battle with mucus. Once my sinuses clear, I should be back in shape.

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Week of February 19, 2006 Part Two
Spinning (Group Cycling)

I first heard of “spinning” a couple of years ago and thought “Now, that’s for me!”. Then I found out it had to do with riding a stationary bicycle. Stationary biking is dull, but supposedly the music and group environment of spinning makes it more fun. If you like aerobics, you may like spinning. However, I never tried it. It always requires an extra fee at gyms, and I never bothered to pay the nominal charge when other desirable classes are included.

The day after my aerobics disaster, I attended another class. No, I am not easily discouraged. In fact, I wanted to get back in shape as fast as possible after purging that nasty sinus infection from my system. I arrived at the YMCA and saw a cycling and toning class posted on the schedule board. I hurried into the exercise studio to join the group. The instructor set up my bicycle, positioning the seat at hip level. Only two women appeared for the session and neither of us had participated in group cycling before but were interested in trying it.

We started with almost no resistance on the bikes while music played and the instructor told us about relaxing, concentrating, and visualizing our journey. Zen cycling. That appealed to me. I even closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I was relaxed and ready for the challenge. Then my ass began to hurt. These spinning bikes have evil little seats that do not accommodate nature’s curvature. Some women wear shorts with padding built into the crotch. Some people put gel covers on the seats. I think I would need both. To make matters worse, I was wearing shorts. My inner thighs rubbed dangerously on the plastic seat. If I were not sweating, I might have started a fire.

My companion also complained that her butt hurt. I decided that I preferred a pain in the ass to riding that bicycle standing up which absolutely killed my knees. My knees do not ache from running, skating, aerobics, or kickboxing; but striding on that bicycle just about destroyed my knees and quadriceps. Maybe my thighs were sore from step aerobics the previous day, but I have no excuse for the knee discomfort. I positioned my chafing rear end back on the seat.

Spinning is known to be an excellent workout. It burns a lot of calories. A person will sweat profusely and consume large quantities of water while group cycling. It is also considered one of the most rigorous forms of group exercise, which is why it sparked my interest. Yes, it was intense, and I liked that part of it. After twenty minutes of cycling the other woman and I were ready to stop. We were sore and tired. We welcomed the sculpting component of the class, which was also very challenging. Both of us commented on the obvious tenderness we experienced in our backsides. The instructor said with time, you get used to it and even build up calluses. Lovely. That’s just what I need, a callus on my butt.

It is hard for me to reject a form of exercise that could prove beneficial. However, I have many options at my disposal and I have to make choices. While certain accessories could make cycling my comfortable, I do not need the knee strain. I may have limited opportunities to skate now; but, hopefully, that will not always be the case. I intend to skate into my senior years and would like to do so on strong, healthy knees. I also enjoy running and plan to continue indefinitely. For years, I have participated in aerobics and recently discovered kickboxing. I have no desire to give up either of these sports. In order to continue the activities I enjoy, I have to pick and choose between forms of exercise that will help me to meet and maintain my weight loss and fitness goals. For now, group cycling does not suit my needs, but I am glad I tried it.

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