Too hot to road bike? Why not try a spinning class.

While pedaling a stationary bike might not sound like the most exciting workout, the instructor in a spinning class leads the group through various drills and visualizations on the cycle.

The instructor may call out, “you are climbing a long hill and you are almost at the top!” Participants are asked to vary their pace, sometimes pedaling as fast as they can, other times cranking up the tension and pedaling from a standing position, said Kyle Smith, fitness coordinator at the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center.

“Spinning is an excellent exercise class for a number of reasons. Spinning burns serious calories, sometimes as many as 450 calories in a 45-minute class,” Smith said. “It is also a wonderful cardiovascular workout. You can really feel you heart working.”

The tension knob of each bike can be adjusted individually, allowing the beginner to keep up with more advanced cyclists by toning it down a few notches, or the pros to get a better workout by cranking it up.

Due to the popularity of spinning, Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center has added 15 state-of-the-art spin bikes that displays RPMs, resistance, distance and heart rate.

• The Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center offers spin classes 828.452.8097.

• The Jackson County Fitness Center in Cullowhee holds spinning classes at 4:!5 p.m. Tuesdays, 5:45 p.m. Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. Fridays 828.293.3053 or rec.jacksonnc.org.

• The Franklin Health and Fitness Center holds spin classes at Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m. 828.369.5608.