Fitness Friday: 5 Things To Know Before Your First Spin Class

Spinning is one of those exercise classes which inspires dread and the response "I couldn't do that." I used to think I was far too unfit and poor at cardio to attempt spinning but once I tried it, I realised that it is possible, whatever your fitness level. I wanted to write some tips which might encourage you to give spinning a go!

1. Don't be scared!

When you first walk into a spinning class, it will seem intimating, I'm not going to lie. I remember my first spin class where I was greeted with people in full-on Lycra, already warming up like they've been there for hours. Arrive early so you can choose where in the class you want to sit and get used to the bike. A water bottle is a must and a towel is also handy as it's a sweaty class! 

2. Ask your instructor how to set up your bike

If you're bike isn't set up correctly, the class will be so much harder as a result. Ask your instructor or a fellow class-goer to help set up your bike - the moment of embarrassment will mean you get much more out of the class. As a general rule of thumb, make sure your leg extends to a slightly bent knee at the lowest point when you pedal and ensure the handlebars are aprroximately the same height as your seat.

3. Pace is king

Personally, I find the hardest thing can often be keeping up with the speed of the instructor's pace. I pay attention to the music and find the beat, then move my legs to the music. When you're sprinting, point your toes forward to drive your legs faster. When you are 'climbing' and pedalling is harder, focus on the push and pull movement to drive your legs. 

4. Don't sweat about the resistance

As I've said, I prioritise pace and the key is to then build in the resistance. Spinning bikes are controlled by the amount of resistance you apply using a button on the bike - twisting clockwise increases the resistance, whereas twisting anti-clockwise reduces the resistance. During a class, the instructor may tell you to turn your resistance up by a certain amount of turns - but remember that you don't have to do this! The key to spinning is to push yourself as much as YOU want to, so keep the pace and up the resistance as and when you feel you need to.

5. Leave!

Les Mills' indoor cycling classes, RPM, recommend that for your first class you complete the first four tracks then leave. You may not want to only complete half the class then leave but it actually makes a lot of sense. By completing four tracks and leaving on a high, you are more likely to come back and stay for longer next time, rather than going too hard and scaring yourself off the class for life. My only criticism of this is that there is therefore no cool down - so if you do leave, please remember to do some stretches!

Spinning is a fantastic workout, but I really don't believe it's a terrifying class that anyone should be too scared to try. Once you realise that you are in control of your effort level and can push yourself as much or as little as you like, spinning is a brilliant class to improve cardio, tone and get fit. I get a buzz from spinning unlike any other form of cardio but it's all about taking that first step and getting on the bike! 

Have you tried spinning? Do you have any tips? 

Jess

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The Cambridge Gin Festival

Two of my favourite words, gin and festival; put them together and you've got a special event. When I heard that a Gin Festival was coming to Cambridge, I couldn't wait, and it seems like the rest of the Cambridge population felt the same way as the event promptly sold out. Luckily I was offered a pair of press tickets for the event so my mum and I headed down on a Friday evening to check out the various gins on offer - over 100 of them!

Entry to the Gin Festival was £8.35 but this included a 2016 Gin Festival glass, a book describing all the gins on offer at the festival, a pen and a badge. I think the glass was worth the ticket price alone and I can't wait to add the 2017 glass to my new collection!

The glass was used to try out the gins. 4 gins, accompanied by tonic and garnish, cost £20 and worked on a token system, meaning that there was no need to scrabble for change at the bar. This made the process much smoother and I loved that each gin had its own unique garnish, specially chosen to complement the gin. It was a fantastic to try some more unusual gins and we even tried a Palma Violet flavoured gin by Zymurgorium. I also couldn't resist trying the Cardiff Dry by Eccentric Gins, which was created as a result of a social media competition - we dubbed it the 'bloggers' gin' and it's the next bottle I plan to buy! 

Further to the bars, there were six stalls each featuring a different gin, testers and sellers to explain their product. I loved the Masons Yorkshire Tea flavoured gin, which smelt and tasted of Yorkshire Tea, but my Mum hated it - definitely one to try! These stalls gave to the opportunity to try before you buy and it certainly worked, as we went home with a bottle of Cambridge Dry Gin and Sir Robin of Locksley.

If you are a gin lover, the Gin Festival is a must to discover new and exciting gins to add your collection. It's touring all over the UK so find out when it's next near you - and Cambridge Gin Festival I will see you in 2017! 

Jess

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1920s Flapper Outfit and A Night of Poker

Dress: River Island. Shoes: Clarks. Necklace: eBay. Earrings: Asos. Headdress: DIY.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to play Texas Hold Em for charity by Ladbrokes. The event was held at the stunning SkyLounge, the breathtaking cocktail bar and afternoon tea lounge overlooking Leeds at the DoubleTree by Hilton. It's a recent discovery for me, but after trying the afternoon tea at Christmas, it's become one of my favourite places for a special occasion. 

I've never played Texas Hold Em before but it was so much fun! I must admit that I was so much braver given that I wasn't playing with real money. We quickly learnt what was a good hand and what wasn't and at one point I had a decent pile of chips. However, as the blinds got bigger and bigger, my pile got smaller and smaller, and soon I was out. You can check out a video of the evening here.

The evening was Great Gatsby themed and I was so excited to put together a 1920s outfit. I have always wanted to go to a Great Gatsby fancy dress party, as I think it's such a glamorous and impressive theme. Importantly, it's also really easy to put an outfit together and still look good.

Most girls will have a swing or sequinned dress in their wardrobe, and I grabbed this neglected velvet swing dress from the back of my wardrobe. I love the luxurious navy colour and the detailed lace sleeves add something pretty and feminine to dress.

Rather than splash out on a headband, I decided to be thrifty and make my own. I had a length of elastic and some sequins in my sewing basket, so I simply sewed these randomly onto my elastic to create a glittering headpiece. I popped on a feather hairpiece, picked up in Poundland, and secured the headband with some velcro - easy peasy!

I found a long string of pearls in my fancy dress box to finish the look (no, I'm not five, but I haven't let go of my university days quite yet!) Thin eyebrows and some bright red lipstick finished off my 1920s inspired look and it's one of my favourite fancy dress outfits, despite being so easy and simple to put together!

Have you ever played poker? What do you think of my Great Gatsby look?

Jess

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