If you are looking to kick your exercise routine into a higher gear this year — and find a supportive, encouraging community — give indoor cycling a spin.
Besides the cardiovascular benefits, indoor cycling can help you lose weight and improve your muscle endurance. It also releases a burst of endorphins, those euphoric brain chemicals that help to relieve pain, reduce stress and improve your sense of well-being.
“Riding takes the anxiety that we manufacture all day long and channels it into a more productive distribution of energy,” says Carin Karolin, who co-owns CycleBar in Bernardsville and Montvale with her husband, Alan Leipsner. “It allows you to release that anxiety in a healthy, productive manner. The outcome is better than any drug because you’re solving the issue within yourself.”
With indoor cycling, as with any exercise, Karolin says there are no silver bullets. “You have to have a healthy combination of diet and exercise, but you also have those endorphins that can be ignited in those four walls,” she notes. “Everyone walks in for a reason — and it’s not always the same reason. Obviously, riders want to sweat, burn calories and stay in shape, but the vast majority are there for that fine line between the physical and the mental. They want to clear their heads from what is going on outside those walls.”
Although everyone in the room comes from different walks of life and skill levels, there is a strong sense of community — and that is where the magic happens. “This is a community of like-minded individuals who inspire and empower each other,” Karolin says.
The couple extends a special welcome to those new to indoor cycling. “It’s riding a bike, which we all did as kids,” Karolin says. “I encourage people to look at riding as an experience rather than a workout. There are lights, a variety of music, choreography and a group of experienced, entertaining instructors. Each time participants walk in, they will have a new experience, whether it’s their second time or their hundredth. Also, this is a no-judgment zone. Riders can go at their own pace and don’t have to be competitive. They just have to participate.”
CycleBar extends this sense of community into the towns it serves through CycleGives, which raises awareness and funds causes. “It’s our way of giving back to the communities we serve," says Leipsner.
Learn more about CycleBar at cyclebar.com/location/Bernardsville.