Spin Classes and Perimenopause: What You Need to Know
Spin classes offer powerful cardiovascular benefits for women in perimenopause. Learn how to adapt indoor cycling for hot flashes, joint health, and energy.
The Appeal of Indoor Cycling During Perimenopause
Spin classes, also called indoor cycling, have become one of the most popular group exercise formats globally. The format involves riding a stationary bike at varying intensities directed by an instructor, usually set to music. For women navigating perimenopause, the appeal is straightforward. The workout is non-weight-bearing on the hips and knees, making it accessible for those with joint pain. It delivers a genuine cardiovascular challenge at whatever intensity the rider chooses because resistance is self-selected. And it can be modified significantly within a single class, allowing a participant to dial intensity back during difficult moments without stopping or leaving the room.
Cardiovascular Health and Estrogen Decline
Estrogen has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, and as levels fall during perimenopause, the risk profile for heart disease begins to shift. Aerobic exercise is one of the most evidence-supported strategies for managing cardiovascular risk through this transition. Indoor cycling is a high-quality cardiovascular stimulus that raises heart rate consistently and improves cardiac output, blood pressure regulation, and metabolic efficiency over time. Three to four spin sessions per week, even at moderate intensity, can produce meaningful improvements in cardiovascular fitness within six to eight weeks. This is not a small benefit for women entering a life stage where heart health becomes increasingly important.
Managing Hot Flashes in a Spin Studio
Spin studios tend to be warm, loudly lit, and physically intense, which is a combination that can trigger hot flashes in susceptible women. Several practical strategies make the experience more manageable. Choosing a bike near a fan or ventilation point helps. Wearing light, moisture-wicking clothing and placing a small towel nearby for cooling is standard practice among experienced participants. Drinking cold water throughout the class helps regulate core temperature. Some women find that lower resistance intervals, which reduce the overall heat load, are enough to avoid triggering hot flashes even when classmates are working at higher intensities. There is no shame in riding at your own pace.
What Spin Does Not Address: Bone Density
A key limitation of indoor cycling as a sole exercise choice during perimenopause is that it is non-weight-bearing. Bones respond to impact and load, and cycling provides neither. Women who rely exclusively on spin classes for fitness may be neglecting the weight-bearing exercise their skeleton needs to slow bone loss. This does not mean spin is a poor choice, but it does mean it works best as part of a broader routine that includes walking, strength training, or another activity that loads the bones. Even two strength sessions per week alongside regular spin classes creates a much more complete approach to perimenopausal fitness.
Energy Management and Intensity
Perimenopause often brings unpredictable energy. Some days feel strong; others feel like every cell is asking for rest. Spin is well-suited to this variability because the self-selected resistance means an individual can attend the same class on a tired day and simply ride lighter. Maintaining the habit of turning up matters more than matching someone else's performance in any given session. High-intensity intervals in spin class also stimulate the production of growth hormone and testosterone, both of which support muscle mass and energy in perimenopausal women. Scheduling spin sessions earlier in the day tends to work better for sleep quality than intense evening sessions.
Getting Started and Studio Options
Most spin studios offer introductory sessions where instructors walk newcomers through bike setup, resistance adjustment, and basic technique. Correct bike fit matters enormously for comfort. The seat height should allow a very slight bend in the knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The handlebar height should keep the lower back relaxed rather than forcing a deeply hunched position. Shoes that clip into the pedals are standard in most studios and improve pedalling efficiency significantly. Arriving five minutes before class to get set up properly makes the experience far more comfortable, particularly for first-timers who are still finding their preferred settings.
Tracking Progress and Staying Motivated
Spin classes record metrics like distance, cadence, and power output on the bike's console in most studios. Watching these numbers improve over weeks is genuinely motivating. On days where metrics feel lower than usual, noting that in context alongside sleep quality and symptom load helps make sense of the variation rather than feeling like failure. Using PeriPlan to log workout sessions and track symptoms over time can help identify whether certain days of your cycle or hormonal pattern feel consistently stronger or weaker. Knowing this allows smarter scheduling of harder sessions and gives permission for easier ones without guilt.
Related reading
Get your personalized daily plan
Track symptoms, match workouts to your day type, and build a routine that adapts with you through every phase of perimenopause.