Is turning bad for you? It could produce back pain and muscle fatigue



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There is a moment in Amy Schumer's comedy "I Feel Pretty", in 2018, where she rides on an apartment bike, has a hard time getting her shoes stuck in the pedals, and then s & # 39; Collapses on the ground in the middle of a merry-go-round. It's a laughing scene, but it's also one of my biggest fears when I take an indoor cycling class.

Although some of the most expensive spin bikes are designed to be ergonomic, sit on equipment that is often lighter than what one feels to beg for an accident.

There is also something in being bent over an immobile object for an hour, which seems antithetical to physical fitness. At the end of a course, I feel exhausted, but not necessarily more agile. In some cases, my back hurts, despite my attempt to stay in shape.

Aside from personal grievances, I am aware that spinning is a phenomenon that has lasted 30 years and has become popular among celebrities, personal trainers and obsessed training. But evidence suggests that my complaints are well-founded.

In recent years, medical experts have begun to raise concerns about spin classes producing back injuries and muscle trauma. At the same time, a growing number of physical trainers have argued that spinning does not offer the kind of resistance training that would be useful for weight loss (a goal of some, but certainly not all enthusiasts of spinning). One study even revealed that music in spin classes could potentially damage your hearing, a claim supported by several spin instructors.

Although these worries are not enough to discourage my friends from shooting, they have made me reconsider this as a form of exercise.

There is little evidence to suggest that rotation is better than any other type of exercise routine

All spin classes do not involve upper body exercises.
Alli Harvey / Stringer / Getty Images

The atmosphere of a spinning "indoor party" is undeniably fun, but in recent years I've seen far better results in fitness than dropping the machines.

For Anthony Hackney, PhD, professor of exercise physiology and nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "the evidence does not suggest" that rotation is more effective than any other program. # 39; exercise.

This is because weight loss results from an expenditure of sufficient energy to create a caloric deficit. When you play with low resistance, you are not likely to create the type of deficit that would help lose weight.

There is also the danger of making the resistance too high. Hackney said the optimum setting for energy expenditure is around 80 to 90 revolutions per minute, a rate that is difficult to maintain when resistance increases.

Although I've often tried to ignore an instructor's commands to increase resistance when I felt tired, it puts me at odds with the rest of the class – a huge "no-no" "in spin.

Even when I achieve a perfect balance between resistance and speed, the rotation mainly involves the muscles of my lower body. "There are 616 muscles in the human body, and the rotation uses barely half," said Jimmy Minardi, personal trainer, at Livestrong in 2017. "You'd better go out for a brisk walk."

Hackney said that "a better balanced workout" involves the exercise of the upper and lower body. "The more you do physical activity, the more energy you spend," he said.

Although some of my spin classes have incorporated upper body weight, Hackney said that it can be difficult to perform this activity by pedaling, which creates "a likelihood that people will perform poorly on things".

The same goes for trying to pedal as fast as possible. "Unless you're a professional cyclist … we're not very talented because it's really a fast movement," Hackney said. Suddenly, the fear of falling off a bike no longer seems so irrational.

Spinning also poses a risk of back injury

A spin class on the topic of heavy metals in London.
Nicky J. Sims / Getty Images

As I predicted, Hackney said that one of the main health risks associated with spinning is the problem of the back. Although spin monitors will often tell you to push back the shoulders to not get bogged down on the bike, this posture can be hard to maintain during a workout.

"If you're lying on the handlebars because you're tired, you put a lot of stress on your lower back," said Hackney. "The bike is not designed to support you in this context."

Jason Walsh, founder of the fitness company Rise Nation, does not recommend spinning for this very reason. "The human body has never been designed to sit [bent-forward] position of the spine, performing hundreds or even thousands of repetitions, "he told Livestrong.

But Mark Tarnopolsky, PhD, director of the Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Clinic at McMaster University in Ontario, said that rotation should not be a problem unless someone already has a problem of neck. I would bet that it could be any of us who leans every day around our computers.

It is also possible that the rotation can expose the muscles to unnecessary efforts. A study conducted in 2017 by the American Journal of Medicine revealed that newcomers could be vulnerable to rhabdomyolysis, a muscle syndrome that could lead to kidney failure. This condition is frequently associated with car accidents or other forms of trauma.

In regards to exercise, Mr. Hackney said that rhabdomyolysis was more commonly associated with strength training, in which people raise extremely heavy weights. Although he said that it was possible for the rotation to trigger illness, he thinks it would be "an extremely rare event" – unless someone incorporated other exercises. to his routine.

Spinning may not be the best exercise, but you can do it if you like it

At the very least, rotation can be a good form of cardiovascular exercise, which helps increase your heart rate and prevent or manage health problems such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.

Exercise "is a personal choice," said Hackney.
Courtesy of SoulCycle

If you hate all other forms of exercise and have to decide between turning or sitting on your couch, then choose to turn.

"The most important thing is to get people to do the business," Tarnopolsky said. "The intensity, it's good, but doing anything is better than the majority of the population."

Hackney agrees. When choosing an appropriate exercise, he said, you must first look for something that you are passionate about, then find a community or support system that keeps you engaged and engaged.

"The secret [to exercising] because health means being consistent and regular, "he said.

When I started shooting, I found that it was a great way to spend time with friends while slipping into a workout session. There was also a certain euphoria to be in a dark room, listening to my favorite songs among a community of determined riders.

But given my concerns about back pain and bike falls, it's not the type of training that will push me to show up every week.

Exercise "is a personal choice," said Hackney. "But I think people, when they make these personal choices, need to say," God, what are the benefits of that? What could potentially be bad? "

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