It’s A Spin Thing: Could you do a 90 minute spin class?

Last week, on two separate occasions, various people bought up ‘that time I took up running’ (along with ‘that time I caught on fire’, ‘that time I pierced my friends belly button’, and ‘that time I stabbed myself in the groin with a kitchen knife’) but lets stick with the running for now.

“New Year, New Me” I thought, as I walked in to Sweaty Betty and purchased the following items:

3 pairs of leggings
2 sports bras
2 vest/tank tops
2 T-shirts
1 long sleeve hooded top
1 pair of shorts
1 arm band to hold my phone
1 Water bottle to hold whilst I was running

I went running twice.

Maybe running wasn’t for me. I then booked myself some sessions with a personal trainer, which ended turning in to 2 very expensive lie-ins. Maybe exercise in general wasn’t for me, which is a shame because I looked pretty good in all the gear…

I was therefore delighted to be offered the chance to DJ at a 90 minute spin class, an opportunity allowing be to be ‘involved’ in exercise (even if I am just standing there playing music while every one else does the hard work).

Popcycle is pretty cool. It offers a variety of classes from Popcycle Spin (numerous types of sessions), Pilates (can be booked as private sessions), and Booty Barre (mixture of Ballet, Pilates and Barre). The classes are held at Bayham Hall, in the brick vaulted cellar, with a fantastic sound system and neon sound responsive lighting, or in the Ballroom studio, which really doesn’t need anything to highlight its grandeur.

With regards to music, the 90 minute ‘Live DJ Ride’ is split in to three sections. The first 30 minutes is fast paced, with high energy tracks to get you started, followed by a ‘free song’ in which the lights are turned off and you can go at your own pace. The second section is the ‘high resistance’ section, involving hill climbs and deep house music to accompany you on your stationary journey. The second section ends with one more ‘free song’ before really going for it in the third part of the class, ensuring a final blast of energy to leave you revitalised and jelly-legged.

There are several spin instructors at Popcycle, but I have been working with Jaime Cooke (Popcycle founder), who is super lovley and carries the most wonderful, infectious energy. Her enthusiasm and passion to motivate others ALMOST makes me want to exercise, but for now, lets stick with the music.

The playlist is carefully selected so that profiles can be matched accordingly, and I am told that the 90 minutes pass quite quickly. The success of the Popcycle 90 minute ‘Live DJ Ride’ classes, has lead to a partnership with Sweaty Betty, in which the first colaborative class held 43 bikes in the Ball Room. I think it has been the only time that I have watched people enter an exercise class with every single person mouthing the word ‘WOW’… AND you get rewarded at the end of the class with a delicious smoothie. Everyones a winner.