Leigh Barton is a cycling instructor at The Monster Cycle by day and an aspiring DJ by night (or vice versa, depending on her shift). And while the two livelihoods may not seem to have much in common, Barton's drive and passion in each field stem from the same space. "The connection made between the dance floor and the cycle room is that you have to drive an emotion out of people. You have to inspire them to feel something," she says.It's not out of the ordinary for Barton herself to rely on cycling for helping some of the common ailments she faces while she's working as a DJ. "It's important, I think, for DJs to be active. To combat the long amounts of time you spend hunched over whatever you're playing."When it comes to her cycling classes, Barton encourages her students to up the resistance they face on their bikes when they're looking to burn some extra anger (and calories). "A lot of our clients who come here will be like, 'I had the shittiest day ever.' And I'm like, 'Put it all on that dial.' Every time you turn it up, you think about what's pissing you off, what you need to get off your chest, and put your stress behind you, and just move forward from it.""You're running in place for 45 minutes—you're not going anywhere," Barton laughs. "But you're going somewhere mentally."Watch here:
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