Don't You Wish You Invented the Peloton?

Spinning….man, this has really become quite popular since Covid.  Purchasing of spins bikes and home exercise equipment has skyrocketed since Covid. Undertandably so and I am always happy to know that people are taking an interest in their of health and wellness. 

I have many clients who love spinning. Clients that had spin bikes, bought spin bikes, have spin bikes on back order....it goes on and on.  Here is a little secret, I also love to use my spin bike I purchased a couple years ago.  It gives me a good sweat and burn in a short amount of time. I am not sure I have ever feel that I have gotten better at it and if you are a spin enthusiast you might know what I am talking about...but maybe that is just me...LOL

BUT, in PRI terms I am a Patho PEC (Posterior Exterior Chain). For those of you that have worked with me, or our Patho PEC's yourself, you understand that your system is very driven in the sagittal plane (sympathetic).  You bodies struggle with multiplanar movement, whether you know it or now.  So for many of us maybe spin is not the best exercise of choice.  My goal as your PT is to teach you how to do what you love, whether you are a Patho PEC, PEC or L AIC patterned individual.  I do not want to take away whay someone enjoys. I want to teach them how to do what the enjoy better. 

First and foremost...doing activities and exercises you love...exercises that make you feel good...is very important.  This is what helps decrease sympathetic drive (fight or flight).  Fight or flight is not bad, we need it to spin, to push and challege are athletic ability.  That is what drives us to push. 

But when we do not come out of that sagittal fight or flight stage once off the bike and walk around for the rest of the day in this pattern of fight or flight, we develop habitual patterns that are unhealthy to recovery.  If your body cannot rest it CANNOT heal and recover if you while in this state of fight or flight. That is science people ...not Paige McNerthney, PT, PRC, CSCS "whoo whoo"

So when I see clients with a similar Patho PEC or PEC postural patterning, who also like to spin, we talk about spinning in many different aspects because my job is to find ways they can take this (or any activity they love) and optimize their outcomes. 

• We talk about how to make activity multiplanar...by adding some dance or groove to your spin.
• I give them drills to focus on alternating hamstring and quadricep facilitation with reaching to work on trunk on pelvis asymmetries as a warm up and cool down
• I educate them in ways to use the bike to work on simple repositioning after the class or ride is done
• I teach them simple cool down activities to make sure that they reposition so that the other 23 hours of the day their body is working more effectively
• Vary your exercise through the week. Spin is great but you should always change things up to avoid getting stuck in postural patterns
• More is not always better. Look at doing some Low Intensity Steady State to allow good cardio development and muscle recovery
• Lift weights. I cannot say this enough. Weights help with bone density, strength, fat metabolism and balance

If you are an avid spin cyclist or anyone dealing with pain after any activity ...Reach out to me. Let’s come up with some individualized activities to help you move better, manage your beautiful triplanar body, and keep it that way. 

See you soon, 

Paige PT, MPT, PRC, CSCS