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Health & Fitness

Kick it up a notch!

About Michelle Maturo

Michelle Maturo is a vibrant fitness professional who has encouraged and coached hundreds of people over ten years. As a competitive athlete in triathlon, marathon, and cycling events, Michelle enthusiastically brings her passion and experience to those who seek it.

Michelle received her BA in Marketing from Southern Connecticut State University. As a Certified Fitness Professional, Michelle holds many certifications, including: Personal Trainer with the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America, Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and Indoor Spinning Instructor with both Schwinn and Madd Dog Athletics. She is also a National Certified Cycle Coach as well as a Cycle Coach with Team in Training, a comprehensive endurance training program. Michelle began her career in 1997 in New York City as a Personal Trainer and Cycling Instructor at Crunch and Equinox.

 In 2002, she moved back to Connecticut and cultivated a niche in her community. After realizing her incredible individual potential, Michelle chose to strike out on her own to share her passion and created Elevation Spinning & Personal Training.

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June 17th, 2013 - Kick it up a notch!

Summer is officially here, and it’s a great time to take your fitness regime to the next level. The weather is beautiful, it’s not too hot yet, and most of us have some extra time to ourselves. So after exercising indoors most of the winter, I’m the first person to hit the road when the sun comes out.

Cycling is one of the most popular outdoor modes of exercise in our area, and one of the most efficient modalities out there; some of us have been spinning indoors through the winter months to prepare for this season. Whether you’re a seasoned rider, a little rusty or have never been on a spin bike, I highly recommend this article that seasoned instructor Jennifer Sage just wrote for the Indoor Cycling Association entitled, “How to Waste an Hour of Your Time in the Cycling Studio.” 

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The article really resonated with me and with several of my instructors because her philosophy is so similar to ours – there are no shortcuts to building your strength and endurance. We keep our workouts simple and efficient so I don’t feel like we have to reinvent the wheel with something that’s been working for 20 years. We don’t really do the aerobics on the bike – it’s really about efficient cycling, cadence and heart rate.

To that end, here are a few more cautionary tips from Jennifer’s article to keep in mind:

If you want to waste that 45–60 minutes in your cycling class, then go ahead and do the following:

  • warm up for less than 5 minutes
  • pedal real fast with no or super low resistance
  • pedal super slow with very high resistance
  • lift weights on the bike
  • do crunches and engage the core while riding
  • perform pushups while pedaling
  • ignore the pain in the knees and back when doing silly things like tap-backs or squats 

Some of the most important things to apply in your spin class are proper position on the bike, finding the balance of cadence and resistance, individual to each person however equally effective while tracking heart rate zones. Training in the proper heart rate zones will make a difference in your conditioning and body composition changing. Last but not least - have fun!

PS Stay on the lookout for fitness tips each month from Michelle & the Elevation Team. http://elevationspin.com/

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