Summer Cycling
Summer will be upon us from the start of June which means it’s biking season for many of us! When the weathers good it’s a great time to get on the bike and discover your local parks or beautiful British countryside.
So whether you’re a seasoned professional or weekend rider its always good to get some tips on how to get fit for cycling.
Diet, Cardiovascular and Rest
The greatest gains are made through improving your diet, working on cardiovascular fitness and strength, and interestingly getting plenty of rest!
The principles with diet appear to be keeping it healthy, avoiding refined sugar and getting in plenty of protein!
In terms of cardiovascular fitness you could mix distance training with short sprint workouts or vary the terrain from flats to hill climbs – which will really get the heart and legs pumping! Varying the types of cardiovascular exercise can further benefit from running to swimming, to help provide a more rounded exercise regime.
If you’re training hard it is always beneficial to have a good set up on your bike to help reduce the risk of injury. Advice from a Physiotherapy in terms of sitting posture and positional changes whilst on the bike can be essential on improving the comfort of your ride.
Rest finally is an important part of getting fit. Without adequate relaxation it’s difficult to progress your training and also prevents full recovery. Sleep is key – a good nights rest is essential and there are a number of things you can try from avoiding computer screens and large meals at night to having a comfortable bed! Meditation, power naps and relaxing to music are others in which you can help chill out and help your recovery following that big ride.
Here’s a link to an interesting article which covers a number of these factors.
For Advice
However if you feel you need some advice on your cycling be it posture, exercising or helping to recover from injury then please contact us here Kensington Physio & Sports Medicine for help from one of our experienced physiotherapists.