This August, #PreenFitSpo stories run around the topic of fitness, while striding in related matters of athleisure, pop culture, and romantic relationships.

Back in the ’90s, indoor cycling was a big thing in the US. I was in NYC in the late ’90s when I first tried it. It was popularly called Spinning, which was a registered trademark, and therefore later dropped and would be called indoor cycling instead.

In the early 2000s, Fitness First and Gold’s Gym set up shop in the country, and both offered their indoor cycling classes. Basically, this is a high-intensity cardiovascular exercise that is held in a “classroom” with a number of stationary bikes. The instructor is on a stage, giving commands. He or she encourages you to work on your strength, endurance, takes you on intervals, and eventually cools you down.

Indoor cycling has never left us, and if you frequent these gyms, they all have a room for this type of exercise. However, like all exercises, they evolve. And the latest craze to hit the land is the boutique cycling studios (first popularized by Soul Cycle in the US, and more recently, Electric Studio in Manila) that make cycling more fun than ever before.

But wait. Is it scary for a first-timer? What should I wear? And so the oft-asked questions go.

I will be lying if I don’t say the class is really intense. You will sweat buckets, I swear. Your bum will hurt like crazy and your legs will fail you. You think you will die because you can’t sprint as fast but you only have to remember: you are not in a competition. You are here for yourself.

So listen to your body and respect what it can achieve for the time being. Do not compare yourself with anyone because the moment all of you are on the saddle, you are all so focused, you won’t care about the person beside you. But you will leave the studio grinning from ear to ear because you’ve worked your butt off and lost about 800 calories in a 45-minute class.

HOW TO PREPARE

#1 Borrow a seat pad
Especially if you’re a first-timer. Most studios have those.

#2 Do not go hungry
Like with any other exercise, you should never workout on an empty stomach. This is especially true when are you doing a cardio exercise. You need fuel and energy, which you get from food.

Make sure to eat a light meal about two hours before exercise. If your schedule is tight, make sure to eat a banana or a slice of bread before working out. Never attempt to do the class on a full stomach. You don’t want to throw up.

 #3 Hydrate before, after, during class
This should be emphasized all the time. Drink water before working out. Drink again anytime during the exercise. Rehydrate after your workout. Remember, you’ve lost a lot of electrolytes in the process and therefore should replenish.

GET MEASURED IN FOUR STEPS

It is important to get the right measurement before you ride your bike.

Step one
Get your hip height by raising your leg 45-degrees. That is the height of your seat.

Step two
When seated, your legs should be in a 25 to 30-degree angle when you pedal and your foot is at the bottom.

Step three
The right distance from the seat to the handle bar should be your forearm. With your elbow at the tip of the seat, your handle bar should touch the tip of your middle finger.

Step four
The height of the handle bar should be slightly higher than your seat. If you have a back problem, raise it a little more.

WHAT TO WEAR

Wear form-fitting clothes with moisture-wicking properties. Sleeveless tops and tanks are preferred. Bra tops are encouraged, too.

Tights, cropped or full, are better than baggy pants, which will definitely get in the way when you start sprinting fast.

Cycling shoes with cleats are better than sneakers because you will worry that you will lose your footing once you go at a faster pace. When your shoes are clipped to the pedal, you won’t need to worry about anything and can focus more on your form.

Studios like Electric Studio provide Shimano cycling shoes that are Look Keo compatible, and can be clipped to the bike pedals.

YOUR FORM

Focus on your core—spread your weight evenly and tighten it during the entire ride. Do not put your weight on your arms, nor should you arch your back.

Here is one tip from my triathlete instructor that I found most helpful: Focus on the pull, instead of the push on the pedal. With your foot slightly diagonal, instead of being parallel to the ground, your quads will thank you a lot after the class.

Ruby Gan is a fitness enthusiast who is a three-time double-gold medalist in the Powerlifting Association of the Philippines championships and a three-time silver medalist in the Asian Bench Press Championship. She has completed nine full marathons, one ultra marathon, and countless half marathons. She is the founder of the first Kickass Manila Sports and Fitness Expo, which kicks off this Aug. 8.

A self-professed shoe-aholic who loves her heels and sneakers equally, she is also the co-owner of fashion boutique Myth.

Photos courtesy of Electric Studio