Spare your blushes and do it in the dark!

If like me, you lack the discipline on the normal free kit at the gym, and tend to finish just a few seconds (ok minutes) early on every bit of kit you go anywhere near, and are pretty self-conscious when surrounded by gorgeously toned gym bunnies, then try adding a spinning session to your 4 way-stretch ultra-flattering kit (I switched from Sugoi to Pearl Izumi urban's this week), and you'll be in your element.

Enter a state of escapist bliss, and pretend you are 18 again (age dahling, not size), in the disco. Under the strobing lights, to a strong beat, and with the guidance of a great instructor you can burn 510 calories in a 45 minute class. You can crank up the tension hard if the mood takes you, and pant your way up a mythical hill to a steady beat, but speed along to the ultra fast speedy bits in Insomnia.
I started spinning at my very chunkiest. I could not stand up in the pedals, and there was no way that I could do jumps, but before long I was addicted, going to 7 classes a week, and dropping the ounces with every mythical mile (do you get real miles along mythical hills?).
Hiding in the back row, the adrenaline rush takes you away, no one can see your lumpy bits, and by the time you're really in to it, you don't see anything either, just feel the rhythm and go with the flow. Even to the most uncoordinated person (yup, that's me again), jumps come naturally - 4/2/1 in the saddle, 4/2/1 out. What is she on about? Jumps, on a static bike? Good god. But it works with the right beat and a little practice. The there's the other stuff, leaning forward, then in to the 'bends', then positioning yourself back, whilst hovering over the saddle - why?? But again it all works. Your muscles tell you the next day which bits you worked and before you know it you're toned. Even if you have sticks for legs, spinning makes a huge difference, and your calves will look as good in a flat pump as they do in a killer stiletto! If you've got an adventurous instructor who gets you to do push ups at the same time as pedalling, you may even lose your bingo wings at the same time!
I advocate finding a great instructor. Classes vary so much, dependent on the simplest of elements. A packed class is always a good indicator, as instead of putting you off, you'll be swept along in the enthusiasm. My favourite classes have to be ones with a video wall, so you really can imagine yourself of the sweeping downhill straights of the Tour de France (Tomahawk team) - ok the sight of all those fit lycra clad behinds may have had something to do with it Then again, there was a meditation spinning class I once did, that focused purely on your breathing (Schwinn cycling team) - there was no instruction about anything other than 'in, out, slowly, deep breaths...'. It was magical that music, beat, and concentrating on something so simple can give you the hardest work out of your life. An hour of the most perfect escapism left me so very knackered, but on such a high.

Try it, you may love it. Just make sure your instructor helps set up your bike properly, and never wear long baggy trousers, or you may end up in the embarrassing position of securing yourself to the pedals with your trouser leg, and showing off your gym undies all at the same time when the lights have to go back up to release you from your predicament. (Wasn't me... was it?... )