Today was a big day for me; today, I am officially free from pins, casts, stitches, and– most importantly– exercise restrictions. You wouldn’t think that a broken wrist would impact so many parts of life, but my doctor said that walking was the only exercise I could do during the healing process. No running, no Zumba, no square dancing (as if), and no yoga.
Since April 13, I’ve followed those orders. And during the past two months, I’ve managed to gain 10 pounds. I wonder how much I would have gained if I hadn’t done the vegan cleanse! So when the doctor gave me the go-ahead this morning, I immediately started plotting how to punish my body back into shape. First on the agenda: spinning. I have never been spinning (spun, spinned?) before, but I’ve seen people come out of those classes and that’s what I want to feel like. Legs wobbly, dripping with sweat and ready to vomit. Fun, right?!
A friend asked me to join her at a biker bar, and I immediately accepted– picturing a place like this where I could meet her for a beer after spinning:
But alas, she really meant Biker Barre, a new studio on the Hill that specializes in spinning and ballet-inspired fitness classes. We signed up for the 7:45 and I decided to walk the mile to class– these pounds aren’t going to melt off on their own! My friend arrived wearing a Camelback (which terrified me a little) and carrying an extra pair of padded biker shorts (which terrified me a lot). She told me to change so that my butt wouldn’t hurt “as much.” I told her I have plenty of padding back there, but she just laughed and pointed to the changing room.
Wearing my new, cut-off-your-circulation biker shorts and looking hella sexy, I walked into the dark room. The instructor explained how to adjust the bike– the seat moves forward and backward, up and down, and so do the handlebars. I hoped I wouldn’t need handlebars much since it still hurts to use my wrist. She turned off the lights, turned up “Born to Be Wild” (really) and proceeded to perform for the next 45 minutes. This instructor also happens to be the owner of the studio, and she is a rock star. Seriously, I would pay money to see her in concert dancing, singing and working the room (oh wait, I did pay money to do that). I knew I was supposed to take it easy as a beginner, but let’s be honest, I’m too competitive for that. I worked hard enough that I wanted to toss my cookies, and then took it down a notch to make sure that I didn’t; you can’t embarrass yourself like the first time you meet people! I like to save that for our second date.
When it was all over, Rock Star Lady gave us all a cold, lavender-infused towel– just like the one they give you at the end of Bikram yoga. Is that a thing now? It’s definitely my favorite part of either class. I walked out of the dungeon (classroom?) and into the light looking like I’d gotten run over by a truck. As I headed home– in my friend’s car because there was no way I could walk home after that — I took a moment to be thankful. Thankful for her cushy car seats, thankful to be able to sweat for a change, and thankful that the torture was over– at least until tomorrow.
Where is this place? I want to go sometime.. Do I need special shorts?
It’s at 738 7th St SE. The link wasn’t working before, but it’s in the post now. I don’t think you need special shorts, but I was wearing them and my butt still hurts today. I think it just takes a while to get used to.