| Cycle Touring Health & Medical Issues |
| Cycle Touring Health | Exercise |
When setting out on a long journey you are, in a
sense, starting over. Everything is so new and
different. What better time to shed old negative
habits and learn new positive ones? Incorporating
those habits into a regular routine can keep you
sane and ensure that you do not return home a
blubbery version of yourself.
Most cycle tourers have a routine. It is the thing
that allows them to cope with all of the new
unusual experiences. On cycling days they might
wake up at a particular time, pack their bags in a
special way or go through a mental checklist to
ensure that their bike is ready for the road.
You may be surprised to discover that many
long-term cycle tourers end up in worse physical
condition at the end of their tour than when they
started. Really! It is a common discussion when
tourers meet one another on the road.
An insatiable appetite combined with hour upon
hour of cycling at a relatively easy pace (when
compared to a hard run workout) leads many to
suffer from the dreaded "cyclists pouch", a little
belly that protrudes over spandex cycling shorts
and peeks from beneath tight racing singlets.
A routine for the off-bike days helps us to keep in
good physical condition, one that includes both
cardiovascular and strength training.
Running: The bicycle is the most efficient human
powered vehicle in the world. One thing that
makes it so efficient is the fact that it fully supports
the weight of the cyclist.
A few years ago there were a number of articles in
the press about avid cyclists losing bone density
because they were never experiencing the
necessary jarring, weight bearing stresses that
running and walking supply.
Running is a great off-bike workout. And there is
nothing better than to a run through a waking
village or town in the developing world. We have
run in every country we've visited in Latin America,
Africa and Asia and have run competitive races in
Africa and Thailand.
Abs / Push-ups: Our evening routine consists of
a regular set of abdominal exercises and some
upper body push-up. We do these most every
night, on or off the bike. Since cycling is entirely a
lower body workout it is easy to ignore everything
above the waistline after a long, exhausting day of
riding. Once part of a regular routine, you start to
feel strange if you miss your evening workout.
sense, starting over. Everything is so new and
different. What better time to shed old negative
habits and learn new positive ones? Incorporating
those habits into a regular routine can keep you
sane and ensure that you do not return home a
blubbery version of yourself.
Most cycle tourers have a routine. It is the thing
that allows them to cope with all of the new
unusual experiences. On cycling days they might
wake up at a particular time, pack their bags in a
special way or go through a mental checklist to
ensure that their bike is ready for the road.
You may be surprised to discover that many
long-term cycle tourers end up in worse physical
condition at the end of their tour than when they
started. Really! It is a common discussion when
tourers meet one another on the road.
An insatiable appetite combined with hour upon
hour of cycling at a relatively easy pace (when
compared to a hard run workout) leads many to
suffer from the dreaded "cyclists pouch", a little
belly that protrudes over spandex cycling shorts
and peeks from beneath tight racing singlets.
A routine for the off-bike days helps us to keep in
good physical condition, one that includes both
cardiovascular and strength training.
Running: The bicycle is the most efficient human
powered vehicle in the world. One thing that
makes it so efficient is the fact that it fully supports
the weight of the cyclist.
A few years ago there were a number of articles in
the press about avid cyclists losing bone density
because they were never experiencing the
necessary jarring, weight bearing stresses that
running and walking supply.
Running is a great off-bike workout. And there is
nothing better than to a run through a waking
village or town in the developing world. We have
run in every country we've visited in Latin America,
Africa and Asia and have run competitive races in
Africa and Thailand.
Abs / Push-ups: Our evening routine consists of
a regular set of abdominal exercises and some
upper body push-up. We do these most every
night, on or off the bike. Since cycling is entirely a
lower body workout it is easy to ignore everything
above the waistline after a long, exhausting day of
riding. Once part of a regular routine, you start to
feel strange if you miss your evening workout.
| Amanda Finishing a Roadrace in Bangkok |
Cycle Touring Health & Safety > Off the bike workout
