Get fit, motivated by spinning

YMCA spin instructor John Morris shouts encouragement to class participants.

There was a time I liked some of Michael Jackson's music, but now is not one of them.

Now, Michael's screaming at me - "I'm baaad, I'm baaad!" - from the boom box in the corner of the room, while instructor John Morris is screaming at me to "Don't stop!" and to "Climb that hill!" and to "Never quit!"

And my legs and lungs are screaming at me: "Enough already!"

It's a Friday afternoon at the Y. We're in semi-darkness, in a racquetball court partially lit by strings of white lights, riding exercise bikes at various speeds and levels of resistance to the beat of music, dripping sweat, all in the name of burning calories.

Stand up! Sit down. Back up! Lean back. Go faster!

And whatever you do, don't quit pedaling.

This is "spinning." And I'm addicted.

Spinning turns 20 this year - fitness guru Johnny Goldberg (aka Johnny G) opened the first spinning studio in Santa Monica, Calif., in 1989 - but I discovered it just six months ago.

I've done a variety of things to try and keep the pounds off. Pick-up basketball was great until I got old and blew out a calf muscle.

Elliptical machines are cool because you can watch TV while working out, but some days I'd barely break a sweat.

What I needed was a little encouragement in a group setting with an instructor yelling at us to keep pedaling.

Spinning is that outlet.

For 45 minutes, three times a week, I get all the pushing and prodding I need.

"Spinning offers something unique and different," said Robby Channell, who teaches spin classes at the Baptist Healthplex in Jackson on Tuesdays and Thursdays. "You can burn 400 to 500 calories per class. You can tone muscles and lose inches off your waist. And in my class, a lot of the people say it's a stress reliever, a good way to start their day."

Channell's classes start at 5:45 a.m. That'll wake you up.

I go to noon classes at the Fortification Street YMCA. Most health clubs around the metro area offer spinning classes at times to fit everyone's needs.

Morris, who teaches the class I attend, starting doing spin 18 months ago and became certified as a teacher about a year ago.

A former radio disc jockey, he's got the right personality - and the voice - to lead the group, shouting instructions above the music throughout the class while pumping the pedals himself.

Morris, 30, lost some 55 pounds using elliptical machines, then plateaued. Spin helped him burn another seven pounds in a couple of weeks, and he was hooked. Now he's in the fitness business.

Each teacher has a different style.

"Everyone responds differently to me," Morris said. "Someone might love my class because of my personality and the way I teach it. Others might hate it. I tell everyone to try different teachers and find a style that fits them."

Teri Dyess, 47, is a doctor at Baptist and has been teaching spin for 11 years, most recently at Total Woman in Ridgeland.

A former triathlete who hopes to return to that sport this summer after a four-year layoff, Dyess earned her spinning certification at Johnny G's original studio in California and has attended the annual World Spinning Conference in Miami.

"I'm definitely hardcore about it," Dyess said. "I'll tell people that right up front. But I'll challenge them, too."

Regardless of the teacher's style, most spin classes have a basic formula. You pedal an exercise bike to the beat of music, changing the resistance level - making it more difficult or easier to pedal - every few minutes. You switch between standing and sitting, leaning forward or pushing your butt back as far as can go without sitting while still pedaling.

It doesn't take long to sweat and in 45 minutes you're soaked.

I haven't lost much weight yet, but I'm not gaining any either.

"I see positive change in weight for many people," Dyess said. "And for women, I see them building strength and positive awareness about themselves. Even if they're not losing all the weight they want to, they feel better about themselves."

Most days I rush to get out of the office and to the Y by noon. When I get on the bike, I wonder why I'm doing this to myself, and after 45 minutes I'm glad I did it.

If you're looking for a way to get fit but need some motivation to get you there, try spinning.