Flash back to fall of last year, when I finally started working out again regularly after about 6 months of not doing much. I ended up finding out I loved spin classes, signing up for a membership…and then my studio challenged us all to do 30 straight days of class.

With a 30% discount as the reward, I decided to just go for it. Anyone who knows me knows how stubborn I am, and once I really commit to do something there is rarely any looking back. So, it happened and I actually ended up going to 31 days of spin in 31 days.

I won’t lie, it felt like it was slowly killing me most of the time. Now I’m past the whole ordeal and back to a regular workout schedule, I thought it might be helpful to share my thoughts on the

So here it is, the good, the bad and the ugly:

1. It was seriously exhausting

I spent most of the month with tired muscles, and often felt like I didn’t have the time or energy to get my regular life chores done. Originally I wanted to go to one class a day, but I ended up preferring to suffer through a morning and evening class or two classes back to back so I could have a day off here or there.

I felt like my friends, coworkers and family saw my enthusiasm and energy levels slowly deteriorate throughout the month. Apparently I was a lot more quiet (AKA exhausted) and moody than normal. I also got sick towards the end of the challenge – I’m guessing that was my body telling me to slow things down.

There were many days I also struggled with being in the moment during class, knowing that I had to be back on the bike again the next day made it harder to push myself. I know I didn’t get the most out of every workout which sucks.

2. No regrets

I may have walked into class feeling like it was the last place I wanted to be fairly often, but the encouragement from instructors and fun music helped me zone out quickly and get through each class. I always, always felt better after a workout – especially if I was going early in the morning before work or if I was hungover.

3. Mind over matter

Did I want to go to spin everyday? Nope. Half the time I just wanted to stay in bed, or go home and make dinner. Being a part of this challenge (and telling friends/people at the studio I was going to do it!) made me a lot more accountable to actually get through.

Previous to this challenge I had been working out 3/4 times a week for a couple of month, and not necessarily always an activity as intense as spin. I have never worked out everyday in my life, so needless to say my body was not expecting it. Even if you aren’t in amazing shape, you can still get through anything with the right mindset!

4. Fit does not equal skinny

I do feel a lot stronger and a lot more toned, especially around my waist. I’m not sure if this had any effect on my weight (I don’t own a scale, so your guess is as good as mine) but it did certainly make some subtle changes for the better in my body. It’s not like I was expecting a miracle here – just a jump start on my fitness goals, which is exactly what I got!

I’m sure that doing a fitness overhaul AND eating more healthy would make more of a difference, but you know me and pizza…

5. So. Many. Showers.

I hate washing my hair, especially when I also need to dry and style it before work. Spin made this necessary every single day, and sometimes even twice a day. It meant I had to schedule enough time after a class and before any other commitments to get ready, so it felt like I was always rushed.

I can see the difference in my hair health after all that blow drying, so I’m super happy to be back to normal and my dry shampoo. The dryness and damage caused was one of the reasons I chopped off a bunch of my hair!

In the end, it felt super amazing to set a new goal and work towards it little by little each day.  I’m not 100% sure I would complete another 30 day challenge, but I’m glad I did it! Have you ever done one, or would you? I would love to hear about your experiences!