ONCE you get on to a bike at Pedal & Wheel and start the Spinning programme, your ride will never be the same. Joanne Adams, Pedal & Wheel managing director, said there’s a mind-body connection to the art, which has both physical and emotional benefits.

“Initially, it’s an uncomfortable experience. After six weeks you move away from the discomfort of the saddle. It is based in sports science, based in cycling, based in psychology, so it’s a whole mental, mind and body connection,” she said.

Adams started the business in May 2012 after her former riding home closed. Not wanting to quit a form of exercise she had enjoyed for years, she decided to start her own company that would utilise the Spinning programme which was created by Mad Dogg Athletics in California.

“There’s a mind and body connection. When you actually connect to riding it becomes a beautiful thing. You can almost find your spirit. You can express every emotion you feel physically and enjoy the benefit of getting work done. It is all-encompassing for me,” Adams said.

Riding, the name given to the activity that occurs on the bikes, is a cardiovascular exercise done indoors to music. It is tailored for persons who want to lose weight, but who need a less rigorous form of exercise.

“If you’re not into pumping iron, this is for you. This is a cardiovascular exercise which helps in burning fat and improving your overall fitness,” she explained, adding that even pregnant women participate in the classes.

At Pedal & Wheel there are seven female instructors. According to Adams, most started riding as a hobby and it blossomed into a professional career.

Adams explained that though the group shares collectively, each person has their own fitness goals. And how the cycling-inspired rides work depends totally on each individual.

“The bikes have a resistance knob that increases and decreases the intensity of the workout. If you haven’t put in the resistance, it makes no sense. The harder you train, the more you will get out of it,” Adams explained.

Master Spinning instructor Jodi Mair brings life to the classes and her enthusiasm and inspiration have made the riding experience worthwhile for class members.

“It’s more than physical. It is all about your presentation skills, knowledge, physiology and it is very scientific. You use your mind to push your body harder and recover. It is pretty complex and it’s not as simple as riding a bike that can’t go anywhere; you go where you want to go.”

During each class, Mair instructs her riders to imagine going up a hill by increasing the bikes’ resistance; imagine turning corners; and that’s how the mind is used to manipulate the body movements. In any workout, which lasts for an hour, between 300 to 500 calories can be burnt for women, and 500 to 800 calories for men.

Samantha Haughton-Wright, one of the class members, said since she has been with Pedal & Wheel she has lost the weight she gained when she had her baby.

“It’s simple and a fun way to lose weight. The experience is great, and over time you get the hang of it. I tried Zumba, kickboxing and other forms of workouts but didn’t see much weight loss. I’m a breastfeeding mother so that helped a bit; however, when I began riding, the weight went,” Haughton-Wright said.

She added that she also does Pilates to complement her exercise programme and encourages mothers who want to rid themselves of the excess fat to try riding.