Brooke Shields Spins Into Shape

By , SparkPeople Blogger
You’ll find veteran actress Brooke Shields on the cover of Shape’s October issue. She looks amazing at 43 and as a mother of two children. In the interview, Shields shares her “5 Secrets” to staying fit, happy and confident. The story is full of some great info about Shields, who seems really down to earth, talking about the lack of self-confidence she struggled with in the past, and how she fits healthy habits into her busy life.

In terms of fitness, Shields is a big fan of Spinning (group cycling) classes, saying, “Spinning is the only way I ever lose weight…It’s purely about keeping my heart rate up and burning calories.” If she ever experiences weight gain (she recently gained 9 pounds while recovering from foot surgery), “I know I’ll get back into shape pretty quickly once I can start Spinning again,” she told Shape.

As a Spinning instructor myself, I was excited to read this. It’s by far my favorite form of cardio, too. I love it because of the group environment, which is more motivating to me than hitting the treadmill alone. (Shields agrees, telling Shape, “I’m not really a gym person but I love taking classes!”) The music makes it fun, and it really is a great workout for people of all fitness levels—you get out of it what you put into it.

In terms of calorie burn, Spinning can burn up to 500 or 600 calories per hour. However, when I wear my heart rate monitor (a more accurate way to estimate calorie burn) it usually reads about 350-400 calories per hour.

You could burn calories like Brooke, too! Check out my Favorite Things for Spinning, as well as this Spinning Primer to learn what Spinning is and what to expect during your first class. You can also visit www.Spinning.com for more info and to find a free trial class near you.