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Spin class is a high-energy workout on a stationary bike, set to music and sometimes combined with strength training, yoga, or Pilates.
“We have taken the basic format and made it more of an all-encompassing experience,” says Kevin Burns, a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise and a group fitness instructor in Mankato, Minn. “There is louder music, special lighting, and weights, so we are keeping people engaged and motivated.”
You probably have heard of runner’s high -- that rush of your body's feel-good chemicals, called endorphins, after a workout. You can get it in spin class, too.
Your instructor should check your bike to make sure it fits. They should also review safety information. Instructors double as motivational speakers or drill sergeants, helping you power through. There is a learning curve, so give yourself time to get the hang of it.
As with any form of exercise, listen to your body. Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the class.
Music is part of the experience and it can be pretty loud, especially if your bike is parked next to the speakers. Some studios offer earplugs to cyclers who want to turn down or tune out the music.
Is it bad for your hearing? According to Brian Fligor, ScD, the director of diagnostic audiology at Children's Hospital Boston, this depends on how loud the music is and how often you are exposed. “I am a little more concerned for instructors who teach a couple of classes a day, five days a week, than someone who takes a class or two."
“If the sound is under 100 decibels, it likely not causing damage. If it falls below 115 decibels, it may cause temporary, but not permanent damage,” he says. “Once you go over 115, all bets are off and there may be permanent changes in how your ear deals with sound.” If you are concerned, Fligor suggests asking the instructor about the volume or wearing earplugs.
Being part of a pack with your classmates is part of the experience. “We know that people have strong motivation to be part of a group,” says Joshua Ian Davis, PhD, a term assistant professor in Barnard College's psychology department. “The more you are part of the group, the more you can be open to take on group identity. ... I can imagine this being a very compelling experience that you would want to have again and again."
By Denise Mann
HealthDay Reporter
SATURDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Women with advanced ovarian cancer who receive intense chemotherapy directly into their stomach area may live at least one year longer than women who receive standard intravenous chemotherapy, a new study says.
But this survival edge may come at the expense of more side effects.
"The long-term benefits are pretty significant," said study author Dr. Devansu Tewari, director of gynecologic oncology at the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, in Orange County. "There is no study of ovarian cancer treatments that has shown a greater survival advantage."
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy involves bathing the abdominal area with chemotherapy agents. By contrast, intravenous (IV) chemotherapy is delivered throughout the body via the bloodstream. The U.S. National Cancer Institute currently recommends intraperitoneal therapy for women with ovarian cancer who have had successful surgery to remove the tumor.
The 10-year follow-up data from two studies of nearly 900 women with advanced ovarian cancer will be presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, in Los Angeles.
In 2013, more than 22,000 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and more than 14,000 will die from the disease, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. There are no early screening tests for ovarian cancer, which is why it is often diagnosed when the cancer has already spread outside of the ovaries. For this reason, survival rates tend to be very low.
In the new study, women who received the intraperitoneal treatment were 17 percent more likely to survive longer than those who got IV chemotherapy. On average, women in the intraperitoneal group survived for more than five years, while those who received IV chemotherapy survived for about four years, the study found.
But survival benefits aside, intraperitoneal chemotherapy does confer a greater risk of side effects -- such as abdominal pain and numbness in the hands and feet -- and not all women can tolerate this high concentration of cancer-killing drugs. The drugs are also absorbed more slowly, providing more exposure to the medicine. The same properties that make the intraperitoneal therapy more effective likely play a role in causing more side effects, the researchers said.
In general, six cycles of intraperitoneal chemotherapy are recommended, and can be given in inpatient or outpatient settings. The more cycles the women completed, the greater their survival advantage, the study showed. After five years, close to 60 percent of women who completed five or six cycles of intraperitoneal therapy were still alive, compared with 33 percent of those who completed three or four cycles and 18 percent of those who completed one or two cycles. Women can switch back to IV chemotherapy if the side effects prove too harsh. Still, the researchers said, some intraperitoneal chemotherapy is better than none.
