To celebrate our combined love of Pride Month and fitness, MEGA Active and MEGA Drag participated in the indoor cycling event called Pride Ride held at PERIGON. Here’s everything that went down
I’m starting this with a confession—I used to hate indoor cycling. To stay active, I have always preferred to play tennis, take long jogs, and do low-impact mat exercises. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bike, but I’d choose an outdoor ride over an indoor one any day of the week. And for all that I saw about the benefits of spin classes, I’d only done it once so far this year. And yet, Pride Ride at PERIGON was an experience that made me change my tune.
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Never underestimate the power of a good playlist and instructor. While I’ve not had a bad experience with either of the two so far, indoor cycling instructor Ethan Lim and his queer-infused diva pop playlist and words of encouragement were everything a near-beginner like me needed to feel both at home and pushed to my limit.
Part of the reason why I thought spin classes weren’t my cup of tea was because I liked following my own pace too much. If I needed to go slow, I’d go slow. If I felt strong enough to increase the intensity, I’d do that. But in a spin class, you could feel pressured to keep up, and this feeling could be made worse if you’re in the same class as the regulars. However, Pride Ride was full of individuals with varying fitness levels and led by an instructor that gently advised against going overboard. So, when I felt the need to pedal slower, I did. And when I felt the need to lessen the resistance, I did. Yet all the same, I was a part of the movement and was encouraged to keep up as best as I could with instructions.
The most challenging parts of Pride Ride were the strength training and choreography. Lifting weights and keeping to the beat are not among my strong suits, especially not while near-exhausted. That said, all the movements increased with intensity gradually and in a way that made sense, meaning nothing was more painful than it should have been. While pain is part of the process, it was all manageable, even for one who’s not a regular to spin classes. There were also plenty of pauses in between different segments and Ethan was more than kind enough to give a longer break when necessary, such as when more than one participant needed help grabbing their weights.
Close to the end of the hour-long session, Ethan then reminded us how this was a Pride event by giving a moving testimony to the power of community through fitness, how Pride is a protest, and why spin classes meant so much to him. After this, he put on Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” and we rode out to the end together, feeling invigorated and encouraged.
At the end of the session, Ethan then led us through all the right stretches to ease the pain in our limbs. And, of course, the class took many pictures to commemorate the event. All in all, it was a satisfying experience that could convince anyone to come back.
Photos: KIM ANGELA SANTOS
