Work Out New York's Holly Rilinger Explains Why Flywheel Is the Best Winter Workout

With winter weather just around the corner, it can be easy to feel like it's OK to take a break from your usual fitness routine until the outdoors become much more pleasant in the spring. However, staying healthy and fit isn't something that you do just when it's convenient; it's a lifelong journey. Luckily, Flywheel is a fantastic way to get your heart rate up, burn some calories, and come away feeling as great as you look all year-round.

We've already gotten a taste of the power of Flywheel during the series premiere of Work Out New York as cast member Holly Rilinger, a Flywheel Sports Master Instructor, invited Lena Marti to take one of her classes at the indoor cycling studio's Chelsea location. Though the first-timer initially wasn't sure how well she'd be able to handle the high-intensity races and cardio workouts of the Flywheel experience, Lena was all smiles by the time she left the class.

The transformative nature of Flywheel is a powerful motivator that, in addition to being an indoor group class, makes it a perfect workout for the winter, according to Holly. "There's something about going into a room, getting into the rhythm of the music, listening to what the instructor says, closing your eyes, letting stuff go, and I think those kind of workouts are really powerful because it's not just those 45 minutes," Holly told The Daily Dish. "Maybe it's really sh**ty weather, but you take those endorphins, and you're able to take it to the rest of the day with you."

Holly was introduced to indoor cycling years ago when she attended her first class with a friend. "When I sat in that class, and I saw that instructor in the front of the room, it reminded me of being a point guard. It reminded me of being in a room and leading a team somewhere to being their best, to working their hardest, to a championship," said Holly, who played basketball professionally around the world before becoming a fitness trainer. "I was like, wow, I could do that. I could get up there, and I know I could inspire people, and I could motivate people."

Holly believed in the company and its mission so much that she decided to join Flywheel as an instructor when it was only a few months old with one location in New York's Flatiron district. Fast-forward to today, and Flywheel has 32 locations around the country and two in Dubai. "Now it's huge. I had no idea it would be this big," Holly told The Daily Dish. "It's really great to believe in something early and then watch it grow like that. It's very rewarding."

New Yorkers may be flocking to Holly's classes at Flywheel these days, but even the Master Instructor had to work her way up to earning that prestigious title. "I remember early on I had 8:30 a.m. classes that five people would come to," Holly said. "I set a goal five years ago: I want to be one of the most in-demand fitness instructors. I want to have sold-out classes. And when you start to perform that way, like any company, you become a Master Instructor."

But just because you have someone like Holly leading you through a Flywheel class doesn't mean you can put your workout completely in your instructor's hands. "I think there's a difference between showing up and really getting the most out of it, and that means you have to hold yourself accountable for things. Like, when there's a sprint, go all out. You know, when there's a choice between two weights, pick the heavier weight," Holly told The Daily Dish. "Don't cut yourself short by just being happy you showed up. Make sure every moment you check in with yourself and say, 'Am I giving everything I can in this moment?'"

The performance metrics given to all riders — as measured by the proprietary on-bike "tech-packs" and available to view on TorqBoards during class or later online or through the iPhone app — are unique to the Flywheel experience and can be a major source of motivation to do better the next time you get back on the bike. "I think an assumption that people make about that is it's all competitive and number-based, and it's not," Holly said. "You can still go in there and close your eyes and have a spiritual experience and lose yourself. But you can still walk out of there and go, 'Oh, I did better than yesterday.' Or, you know, 'I'm improving.' So I think because of that, it's a nice perk to be able to have those metrics."

This system will be in place no matter which of the 34 Flywheel locations you visit. With so many spread out all over the country, you'll really be out of excuses to not get your workout in amid your holiday travels. "You walk in the door in New York, you walk in the door in Dallas, you walk in the door in L.A., Chicago, Miami, it's like going home," Holly told The Daily Dish. "So when you do travel, you can take a little piece of familiarity with you to another city, which I think makes it a lot easier when you travel to be consistent and to have a place that feels as good as it does to work out in when you're home."

After all, there's no place like home for the holidays.

Haven’t tried Flywheel? Come for a ride – your first is FREE! Create an account at flywheelsports.com to get started.

After that, see Holly and her fellow Work Out New York trainers in action in the show's supertease, below.

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