Hamptons' Diary: My First SoulCycle Experience

Growing up near a beach meant that exercise consisted of riding bikes, roller blading, surfing, swimming and running. I was quite the athlete in high school: track super star, varsity basketball, first doubles in tennis. The moral of the story is that I never have really embraced gym culture, the whole going to "Zumba" at 4pm followed by "Sunset Yoga" and an hour on the elliptical  with a "Power Shake" doesn't quite cut it for me. So when I was invited to take a HIIT class at SoulCycle in East Hampton I was a little hesitant. What do I wear? Do they wear make up? Should I get a manicure beforehand? I begged my writers to accompany me, but they all had "prior engagements."

So there I was in my Alexander Wang tank top and hot pink Nikes, ready to go. I was so excited I almost completely forgot that Saturday mornings on 27 are equivalent to an evacuation route. Therefore, I missed the HIIT class because I was 20 minutes late. But the people at SoulCycle were kind enough to put me in one of their later classes with the same instructor so I could still get a "feel" for it. And get a "feel" I sure did -- I felt it for days.

Instructor MB Regan is amazing, and tough. I like tough. With muscles that would scare even the biggest juice head, she doesn't have time for sissies, and I was only taking her regular class, not her HIIT class. Apparently, she developed her HIIT class in 2003 that maximizes aerobic productivity in a minimum amount of time, for those of us who are always on the time crunch.

The 30-minute, 10-person program is designed to incorporate high intensity indoor cycling, on-and-off the bike strength training and callisthenic exercises. The idea is that the participants' resting metabolic rate will be higher, also while improving endurance, burning fat and improving athletic performance.

The 45 minute class I took was nothing to balk at either, however. The intensity on-the-bike work out kicked my booty but made me feel like a million bucks afterwards. With some good tunes to groove to while biking and some tough love, the class was a great way to get into shape in a quick, fun way.

Now I know what the fuss is all about.

Available exclusively at SoulCycle's East Hampton studio as part of an 8-week weekly series, SOULCYCLE HIIT's private classes will run every Friday and Saturday at 8:45 AM. The 8-week Saturday series is $400 per person and can be booked by emailing HIIT@soul-cycle.com.