Are spin classes bad for your hearing and your back, or are the concerns overblown?

Are spin classes bad for your hearing and your back, or are the concerns overblown?

Many of our patients love going to spin classes.  Spin raises your heart rate and can offer a first rate aerobic workout.  Since it is done in a classroom, it can also offer a competitive experience as you try to keep up with what the class is doing.

Spin can also damage your hearing, if the leader has the music set too loud so it may be a good idea to wear inexpensive ear filters to remove harmful frequencies while allowing you to hear what is going on around you.

Some people, according to a recent article on business insider may develop back pain while doing spin classes.  Mechanically, spin bikes help you maintain form because spin shoes  clip on to the bike and  limit the way you move.  People also stand up on the bike while pedaling during the classes which helps build on the experience and the workout as well.

If you are looking for the evidence that spinning is better than other types of exercise, there is little to be had.   You will get a great workout though.

If you are having mechanical problems in your back and neck, or problems in the coccygeal area due to a fall, the bike seat may aggravate the problem due to its shape and the shape of your pelvis.  Coccyx problems are more prevalent in women due to their wider pelvis, although we have seen these in men as well.

If you are experiencing back or neck problems, or the knees ache after a spin class, seeing your chiropractor is the best way to help yourself solve the problems you are experiencing, because of their holistic approach to the musculoskeletal system. Quite often, the mechanism behind the pain is different than the area of pain and a holistic approach is the only way to fully understand why you hurt.  Also, since mobility is closely linked to painful conditions of the ankles, knees, shoulders and back, a chiropractor will use methods such as myofascial release, manipulation and exercises to enhance strength and mobility which is required to resolve most problems in these areas.

Business insider wrote an interesting article on the benefits and caveats of spinning.  Check it out below

Spinning class can lead to back pain and even damage your hearing. There are still reasons to participate.
Aria Bendix May 11, 2019

There’s a moment in Amy Schumer’s 2018 comedy “I Feel Pretty” where she climbs onto a spin bike, struggles to clip her shoes in the pedals, then comes crashing to the ground in the middle of a ride. It’s a scene played for laughs, but it’s also one of my greatest fears when I enter an indoor cycling class.

While some of the more expensive spin bikes are designed to be ergonomic, sitting atop a piece of equipment that’s in many cases lighter than you are feels like begging for an accident.

There’s also something about being hunched over a stationary object for an hour that seems antithetical to fitness. By the end of a class, I’m left feeling exhausted, but not necessarily more agile. In some instances, my back even aches, despite my attempt to maintain proper form.

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