The lights go down, the tempo of the music is building, and I am pedaling furiously. Spinning is so very cool. All those daily core workouts are paying off. I am feeling solid and strong. I breathe through my nose, making sure that the air travels all the way down below my belly button, filling the lower lobes of my lungs. It is no easy task, especially since I am also keeping my core tight and my upper body relaxed. It took me a while to be able to get all the pieces in place. You see, I have an educated hunch that the deep breathing will kick my endurance into super-turbo mode - it has to do with my parasympathetic nervous system. As a woman, I have an advantage over the guys — us girls have higher parasympathetic control over our heart rates. That's probably why we as a group live longer. I expect that continuously engaging this system will greatly improve endurance. In simple terms, I am decreasing my heart rate, lowering my blood pressure, engaging energy conservation and lowering my need for oxygen. Pretty slick, huh?
Matt's on my right, giving it his all. It's his first spin class. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see his mouth open, already out of breath. We still have 50 minutes to go... poor guy. He is not alone, though; soon, huffing and puffing can be heard from all corners of the room. Covered in a layer of sweat and completely exhausted, he hangs in there. He is a weightlifting guy, not much into running or cycling (unless he's being chased). The class is not for beginners – the 20-something, superfit instructor keeps us off the seats the whole time, resistance up and intensity high. After the class, impressed with his fortitude, she asks cheerily, "Are you coming tomorrow?" "Hells no!" he replies cheekily.
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