Stay motivated during the winter!

Stay motivated during the winter!

There is no time to waste! Summer bodies are made in the winter!

But HOW can you feel motivated when it is so cold and miserable outside? Staying at home under the duvet is way more tempting!!

Here are a few simple ideas to help you get enough motivation to start the ball rolling:

  1. Buddy-up! It is always easier to do things with people you enjoy. It is more motivating because you share a fun/challenging moment, and you are going to think twice before skipping off and leaving your buddy in the lurch.

running-snow

  1. Make your exercise routine a specific part of your weekly schedule.  Book this date with yourself that you cannot cancel. It takes a few sessions for good habits to form- but once that routine kicks in, you won’t think twice about it!
  1. It needs to be fun. For example; running in the rain is not as fun as feeling nice and cosy in a spinning studio 😉 Choose an activity that will make you feel results fast- and which will help you ignore the miserable weather outside!

rain

  1. Treat yourself (even more so now that it is the Sales season!) Buy a new warm hoody, or a new exercise outfit that you will enjoy wearing to your next sessions.
  1. Do your body some good. By exercising, you boost your immune system and help it build up strength to fight bugs and colds.

It is also a great way to fight the winter blues, which are all too normal at this time of the year!

cold-weather

  1. Share your results on your social media, or at least make a note of your performance each day. This helps you remember the efforts and results you made- which will motivate you when you are lying deep in your warm cozy bed!
  1. Whether you exercise in the morning or the evening, think of a nice reward after your session- maybe its a warm hot chocolate in the morning, or its a hot evening meal before watching a nice tv series with a warm blanket… whatever it is, reward yourself!
  1. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your objectives. Summer bodies are made in the winter- so don’t waste any time… the winter will pass much faster!!

beach-body

Why use RealRyder bikes? We really couldn’t find better indoor cycling (spinning) bikes!

Why use RealRyder bikes? We really couldn’t find better indoor cycling (spinning) bikes!

Black and beautiful, it’s hard to find nicer looking bikes. However, this time beauty didn’t even factor into it!

A number of more important reasons helped us make up our minds.

Our love affair with these bikes started in 2008 when Sandrine was living and working in the Dominican Republic. A new gym just opened its doors, and she was asked to manage their indoor cycling program. The gym owners had worked hard to find the best bikes available, and they were one of the first gyms to use RealRyder bikes. (Thank you Steve and Orchid for being such trend-setters!) Up to that point, she had been used to working with traditional “static” spinning bikes, so this was a whole new revelation to her. And it totally transformed her vision and love for indoor cycling.

When it came time to opening Spinbreak, the choice was simple… for many reasons!

1. One of the best features is that these bikes tilt 20 degrees left and right- and they allow you to control how far you go in this movement. The fact that you are control your balance and movement in each position means you get a more complete workout and you burn more calories than on static bikes. It’s a whole new level of spinning!

colin-spinbreak

2. The quality and R&D of the bike is unrivalled.
From a technical point of view, the bikes are the result of many years of research, testing and development. They are sturdier and better built than any other bike available: each RealRyder weighs 103 kg vs. an average 60 kg for the traditional static bikes. The flywheel alone weighs 30 kg- (10kg more than average), which makes for a smoother and more solid ride. The flywheel is also placed at the back of the bike, which is what enables the bike to tilt.

3. Our spinning workout is more complete. Thanks to the constant left-to-right movement, our core muscles are always engaged and our abs work all the time (without any extra effort on our part!) We also workout our upper body (back, abs, triceps, biceps…). What is more, each workout is really unique… Each class has different music with its own rhythm and movements, and each with its own objective: some classes are aerobic workouts while others work your endurance at different levels…

4. We can take more care of our bodies. The RealRyder bike allows for a more natural flow of movement, which means there is much less pressure on our joints- the knees, hips and back. We also burn an average of 20% more calories for the same time spent on the bike…. an important bonus!!

As you can see, there are some excellent reasons for choosing the bikes: from the technical, to the more complete and balanced workout- and to the fact that it is healthier for our bodies. You have no excuse now: you will feel better, happier and way more energised!!

 

Why is it important to drink water?

Why is it important to drink water?

Water is vital- not just for our health, but for our physical performance.

By staying hydrated during physical effort, our body is able to maintain its optimum temperature. When our muscles contract, they give off heat (like an engine) which causes a loss water which is used to cool down the body.

Sweat is the technique used by our system to cool the body down and maintain it as close to its normal temperature as possible. During physical effort, our heart is going to focus on pumping to muscles that need it the most. Without proper hydration, our muscles don’t get the attention they need, and we will feel tired faster.

FYI: a loss of 2% in body weight of water leads to a drop in physical performance of 20%.

After any physical performance, it is important to drink throughout the day to minimise muscle pain and to get rid of the toxins released during the effort.

But… how much water is enough?

There is a simple rule: our body needs 0.041 litres per kilo. To know how much water you need to drink per day, just divide your weight in kilos by 24. For example, someone weighing:

  • 50 kg needs 50/24= 2.1 litres of water per day
  • 60 kg/24 = 2.5 litres/day
  • 65 kg/24 = 2.7 litres/day
  • 75 kg/24 = 3.1 litres/day

Hydration Calendar: this links you to a site which is a fantastic tool to workout your daily intake according to your general lifestyle. Its also full of great advice!

Water + Spinning

When you carry out sport, you need to drink even more! Because when we do sport, our breathing increases.

If you take a spinning class, you need to drink an extra 1.1 litres of water during the day.

Its important to drink water while spinning, and doing any form of indoor cycling training.

FYI, coffee and juices high in sugar content will dehydrate you. On top of that, our body will create insulin when we drink sugar drinks- which obviously does not help our body when it comes time to burn fat.

If your objective is to lose weight,  weigh yourself before and after your physical exercise. Your weight should be similar because you should be drinking the equivalent of what you sweated out. Weight loss during physical effort is temporary, What matter the most is that your body continues to burn fat after the effort- which is how you will really lose weight consistently.

[x_blockquote type=”center”]Think: water is the only nutrient that your body needs to replace after a sports session![/x_blockquote]

Don’t wait to feel thirsty to drink… Thirst is an indicator that your body is already dehydrated…!

Cheers!

Why ride with clips?

Why ride with clips?

For confirmed fans of cycling: do you want to take your spin session to the next level?

Its simple. Buy some shoes! Its no joke: the right cycling shoes will go a long way to improving your experience. Why?

Riding with clips means:

  • your feet are locked in the perfect position on the pedal;
  • you can’t slip and hurt yourself;
  • there is equal pressure on your feet, so you put less pressure on your knees;
  • you can manage the resistance better;
  • it’s much more comfortable!

Basically, when you foot is locked in the right position, your pedal stroke is more efficient, and you can appreciate the ride even more!

Which ones should you chose?

I prefer « mountain bike » type of shoes that allow you to walk without looking like a penguin!

shimano-shoes

The smooth looking shoes are for professional cyclers only- do not buy these unless you’re planning on training for the Tour de France! I have found that in general, they are less practical, and don’t last as long.

racing-shoes

Remember that whatever model you choose, they have to be SPD compatible (so that they can be used on our Real Ryder® bikes).

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spinbreak-bordeaux-realryder-bikes

SPD compatible pedals

spinbreak-bordeaux-spd-clips-shimano

SPD clips on the shoes

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The benefit of these clips is that they are almost invisible under your shoe: you can’t feel them and can walk normally.

They are also more stylish and more resistant – which means they will last you a long time!

An important tip to remember: it is usually recommended to buy one size larger than your normal shoe size. If in doubt, its best to try them first!

Trust me, you will not regret spending the extra money on the right equipment! RealRyder ® bikes are state of the art. You will enjoy them even more with the right shoes!

Final tip: I have been spinning since 2007. I have seen many brands, and Shimano have the best reputation for producing long lasting, quality cycling shoes.

If you’re in Bordeaux, you can buy your Shimano shoes directly at the studio. If you need help to choose the right style, just drop Sandrine a line!

PS. For the more adventurous types amongst you, you can always try these on for size… There is something out there for every taste!
creative-shoes

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