Unclip With Intention: Why Your Spin Addiction Might Be Holding You Back.
There’s no denying that a high-energy Spin class delivers a satisfying sweat. It’s rhythmic. It’s challenging. It’s mentally clearing. And it’s easy to get hooked.
But when the only form of movement in your routine involves being clipped into a bike for 45 to 60 minutes at a time, multiple times a week, it might be time to pause and ask:
What is this doing for my body long-term?
Spoiler: It’s not all good news.
Let’s break it down.
Feet Were Designed to Move, Not Lock In.
Your feet are sensory powerhouses. Each one contains 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They were built to move dynamically, absorb impact, and send critical feedback up through your knees, hips, and spine.
But once you clip into a bike, all of that mobility and responsiveness gets shut down.
Locked into the same fixed pattern, your feet lose their ability to adapt. Over time, that can create a chain reaction of limited joint function and muscular compensation, particularly through the ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.
What You Repeat, You Reinforce.
Spin is a sagittal plane, repetitive movement, meaning it’s all forward and back, with very little side-to-side or rotational engagement. When your feet are fixed in position and your hips stay in one posture for an extended period of time, you’re reinforcing a very narrow range of movement over and over again.
What does that mean for your body?
Tight hip flexors
Reduced glute activation
Increased dominance in the quads
Decreased ankle mobility
Potential for overuse injuries and chronic tension
And because the clips remove your body’s ability to adjust in real time, any imbalance, no matter how subtle, is reinforced with every pedal stroke.
What the Research Shows:
Multiple studies in biomechanics and functional movement have shown that:
Repetitive cycling without cross-training can increase the risk of muscular imbalance and overuse injury
Static positioning of the foot reduces proprioceptive feedback and ankle mobility
Limited joint variability over time contributes to neuromuscular dysfunction and reduced resilience in everyday movement
In short: the body needs variety. Spin isn’t inherently harmful, but overuse without balance can create issues you might not feel until they show up as pain, tightness, or instability.
More Isn’t Always Better…But Smarter Is.
The goal isn’t to stop doing the things you enjoy. The goal is to train in a way that keeps you doing those things well. That’s why at CHURCH, we don’t believe in a one-note fitness routine.
We’ve intentionally built programming to balance out what Spin can’t do on purpose:
Strength builds functional muscle and stability. You’ll lift with intention, progress over time, and train your body to move well under load.
Circuit blends cardio and strength with fast-paced intervals that keep you moving across multiple planes, no pedals, just full-body effort.
STRide takes you on the bike, but only for 24 intentional minutes, paired with strength training that brings your body back into balance.
Stretch resets your system. Long holds and breath work restore mobility and regulate the nervous system, especially where Spin locks you up.
The Takeaway: Variety Builds Longevity
Spin has its place, but it’s not the whole picture. Your body was designed to lift, bend, rotate, stabilize, and recover. If you want to feel good on the bike, you need to move well off it.
So if Spin is your main thing, ask yourself: What am I doing to balance it out?
At CHURCH, we’re here to help you build a body that works, not just in class, but in real life.
Unclip with intention. Move with purpose. Train for the long game.
