Don’t let your pelvic floor be the reason you can’t exercise
At Bare Beauty we always want to provide more than just a typical beauty experience. We are constantly looking out for the thing that can make a difference and so it happens Jill Shakespeare @doyoutilt.co.uk came along. Jill is experienced in her field and mindful of the challenges many women have in their day to day lives. We were really impressed that she recognises the demands that women face and adjusts her class schedule to accommodate school holidays and busy routines. Tilt changes class times to fit in with school holidays and working women. So, no excuses – read her blog, decide for yourself, and take advantage of the free class offer. Over to Jill.
Cycling classes can feel pretty full on! They’re typically fast paced, and interval based designed to get your heart rate - and mood - up! On average women burn between 275-350 calories in a 30 min spin class, depending on the intensity and size of the rider.
A large proportion of women suffer with pelvic floor weakness usually from childbirth, menopause or high impact sports. Many people find Spin classes useful to maintain their cardio fitness whilst protecting the rehabilitation of their pelvic floor muscles.
What are the benefits of spin for your pelvic floor over other forms of exercise?
The main benefit of spin and cycling is a high calorie burn whilst being extremely low impact. This means it is excellent as a form of rehab, or for women wanting to give their joints a break.
You can achieve the same calorie burn in 30 mins during a spin class as you would from a run, yet there are so many restrictions that often prevent women from running, such as joint pain, shortness of breath or pelvic floor weakness.
Cycling on a stationary bike for 30 minutes allows for increased cardiovascular performance, gets the blood pumping, strengthens your muscles and allows the abdominal wall to continue to build/recover.
Spinning builds muscle tone all over the body without bulking. The main benefit being toned legs.
Can I worsen my pelvic floor problems by too much spin?
Short answer, yes. Long answer, unless you’re an elite athlete spending numerous hours a day on a bike then no. Doing a spin class once or twice a week will only provide benefits.
Ultimately the most important thing is to ensure you are fitted correctly to your bike. At Tilt, we encourage all beginner cyclists to arrive at class 5 minutes early so we can ensure your seat and handlebars are correctly adjusted to ensure a good riding position. As an example, you would want to make sure your handlebars aren’t too far forward as this will mean you have to hold your tummy which could put unnecessary pressure on your pelvic floor. Equally, the handlebars should be positioned higher than the seat to ensure there isn’t too much pressure on your vagina/perineum area. No one wants a numb vagina during a spin class, believe me!
On a positive note, we spent years - and I mean years! - scouring the market for optimum spin bikes for women. The bikes we use are Spinning bikes, which are blessed with big, wide, padded seats for maximum comfort. As a female instructor, I sit on this bike for many hours a week and have found it to be extremely comfortable. Previously I’ve found it necessary to wear padded shorts to a spin class, but I can wear normal leggings now which is a delight (no more sweaty crotch hurrah!)
Remember any spin class is YOUR class. It is YOUR cycle, and you ride at YOUR pace; yes, we will all be cycling up a hill together for 5 minutes BUT the gradient of your hill might be very different to that of your neighbours.
You control the intensity.
You control the speed.
You are in charge.
It is your ride.
If you fancy giving spinning a go, please dm us @doyoutilt, or drop us an email at info@doyoutilt.co.uk for a FREE class pass. We’d love to welcome you!