My Story
The first time I attended a cycling class I almost fainted.
It was during open house day at a new yoga studio near my parents home in the USA. Me and my friend just finished a hot yoga class, and walked into the cycling class a few minutes later. I wasn't as fit as I am now and didn't drink so much water. I may not have eaten much that day either, so 10 minutes into the exercise I became really dizzy and overwhelmed so left, having to sit outside the rest of the class to re-stablize. Overall the experience left a negative impression on me towards cycling.
Fast forward to 7 years later when I'm living in Europe, and I receive an invitation to try out a cycling class. I've seen this particular studio crop up on my social media network before and was captivated by the disco-inspired theme and dance choreography in their classes. Many local bloggers and influencers raved about this studio and how good they feel after.
Since I had free time on my hands and the exercise sparked my interest, I decided to go - under one condition, my husband @nebi will have to come with me! My husband has proven time and time again to be a really cool support-buddy during challenging times in my life. He was already fit so I figured he would be ok tagging along with me on this cycling journey. Well, it took a liiiitle bit of pushing from me for him to say yes, but eventually I got him to come with me :)
We signed up for the Tuesday evening class. An hour before, I had everything ready - workout gear, sneakers, tower, water bottle, and was excited. I made sure I had eaten and was well-hydrated. When we get to the studio I introduce myself and said to the instructor it's my first time here. I was shown the locker rooms and how to set up my bike. The cycling room was dark with a disco ball on the ceiling. It was an awesome environment. As I sit on the bike pedaling to get use to the sensation I started to get nervous. So I did some deep breathing, stating within me I am going to take it easy, try and have fun, listen to my body, and slow down if necessary. I realized I'm only nervous because of ONE bad cycling experience and that's it. I'm not going to bring my past into this new experience.
When the instructor gets on the bike, the music starts, the disco lights turn on and for the next 60 minutes I have the time of my life. It's a full-body workout with ab and arm-work. I made sure to pay attention to my body and how much I can push it, slowing down when I need to, and adjusting the resistance when I feel it's too much or too little. I made it through the class rejuvenated and looking forward to more (my husband liked the class but said cycling is not for him).
So, from that first class on, I have a membership at the studio and been attending a cycling class every week for the past month. It is my ''happy place'' I go to now, that I do for me and my well-being!!!!!
How Cycling Supports Me in Other Ways:
Makes me focus on my body and my breathing in the moment
Helps me leave ''everything behind'' while I work-out
Working out also supports me to be more aware of my body. I notice that I am not putting in all my effort when I am too much in the mind, thinking about stuff. So when I drop what I'm thinking and focus on the music and the body, my workout becomes more stronger and effective.
There are some popular bloggers and influencers that go to these cycling classes. It's very humbling to see them ''normal'' - without makeup and in workout gear like me. The symbolism of all of us in one room as people is really cool. We're all here for a reason -- for cycling class -- wanting to make the most of it and our health / well-being. We leave our egos and professional statuses behind.
I know what pushing my body to the extreme feels like, so I'm surprised I can make it through the entire class, showing to me I do naturally well with cardio workouts (perhaps it's my past years of dancing and teaching Zumba).
The exercise supports me to discover new words for me to redefine. During my last class I redefined the word ''motivation,'' -- how can I motivate myself in the hard and tough moments in life? I decided to - When I am faced with a personal challenge, no matter how small, and I feel down and unable to do something about it, I will be my own cheerleader and say ''yes, you can do it! and move / motivate myself to direct and resolve it.
I love how there is the freedom to choose an instructor that fits you and your music choice -- Each instructor has their own playlist of music and style of working out. This gives me more space and opportunity to try out every class and choose the instructors I enjoy the most!
Conclusion
Cycling is not for everyone - my husband wasn't into it, but I implore if you do have a hint of interest, to check out a class!
For newbies: Make sure before you get there you prepare yourself accordingly: Workout clothes, a towel, water bottle and sneakers. Then when you get there inform the instructor it's your first class, and learn how to set up your bike. As class begins, try to find a way of taking it easy, but push to see how far you can go. Focus on being aware of your body and making sure you don't over-exhaust yourself! See how you feel and how your body feels and whether you can continue doing it.
AND most of all - HAVE FUN! Enjoy the music and the new experience!