Alison Mitchell, of Seattle, Washington, had become an avid fan of spin classes by the time she learned she was pregnant at age 34. Indoor spinning classes using bicycle-style exercise machines and invigorating music became a foundation for Mitchell’s regular exercise routine, which included running before Mitchell discovered spinning.

“Nervous” fears about continuing her workouts during pregnancy led to questions of her doctor. Mitchell asked if it would be safe to continue running and spinning.

Her doctor recommended Mitchell continue the spinning classes during pregnancy. The three reasons the doctor used to reinforce the safety of spinning versus running during pregnancy were:

  1. Pregnant woman on stationary bikeSpinning classes are supervised by a trained instructor.
  2. Handlebars stabilize a woman when she feels off balance, important during pregnancy as the baby bump grows and alters a woman’s center of gravity.
  3. It’s safe and acceptable to stop spinning whenever the urge strikes.

As an added precaution, Mitchell followed her doctor’s suggestion of wearing a heart-rate monitor while spinning.

Mitchell’s routine included five spinning classes each week. She missed only two classes during her entire pregnancy, with no easing up on her workout intensity. She reports no morning sickness or swelling during her pregnancy and she gained “the exact amount” her doctor advised.

Mitchell’s favorite indoor cycling studio features a “TorqBoard” which ranks spinners according to how hard they are working out. Intensity is measured as speed and resistance.

Her spinning class instructors joked about becoming midwives, just in case, as Mitchell continued to rank in the top bracket on the TorqBoard as her pregnancy progressed. She claimed the #1 spot on the day she went into labor.

Her labor “honestly felt like a very long work out,” according to Mitchell, who attributes her ability to cope with labor so easily to the endurance she learned in spinning classes. After 14 hours, Kent was born.

Mitchell describes Kent as a wonderfully happy and active baby who held his head up without any assistance at all on the day he was born. He began rolling himself over at two weeks. Mitchell claims baby Kent gets his strength from the spinning classes he attended in utero. She says he loves music, too, and often pumps his legs like he’s riding a bike.

Getting to spin classes while on maternity leave created some logistical challenges for Mitchell and her husband but she kept with her spin class schedule as well as she wanted to. She lost all her baby weight within three months after delivery and is once again regularly ranking at the top of the TorqBoard.

“I Was #1 on the TorqBoard the Day I Went into Labor!” Fly Blog / Success Stories. Flywheel. Apr 15, 2014. Web. May 9, 2014.