mickc
Cross Activity
Try another activity if biking is a 'no' in winter.
With all the winter weather since Christmas it has been a little drag getting out on the bike. I'm not a fair-weather biker by any means but getting on the bike every other day is difficult in the winter. There is the thought of the rain, cold and mud, washing the bike afterwards, cleaning the clothes covered in mud, washing the shoes and helmet and due to the weather, the increased risk of something breaking halfway round (although that hasn't happened recently, I guess because bikes are built stronger nowadays). Doing all this once or twice a week is absorbable? But not every other day. As much as I enjoy it my biking definitely drops off in January and February.
What can you do to keep healthy and fit so when the weather improves you can hit the ground running with the same level of biking after a quiet winter? All the miles put in the previous year don't need to be wasted. There is an alternative…
The solution is cross training. They call it cross-training but as I'm not actually training, I call it cross activities, to maintain a level of health and fitness. In simple terms it means to choose some other activity that you can do with a smile on your face or doesn’t take too much time. All this whilst maintaining your health and fitness to get back on the bike. Actually, there can be benefits to mixing up activities.
Cross activities can be useful if you have a slight niggle or minor injury whilst biking. You can choose an activity that doesn’t use the injured part of the body or isn't weight baring (if your injury is relating to being on your feet). Another benefit of focusing on another activity for a little while is bikingboredom could decrease. Being off the bike normally makes you miss biking and increase the want to do biking? We all get moments when our hobbies start feeling the same and ‘ biking’ can be like this, going over the same trails can get monotonous. A break can be a real benefit. So after a lengthy summer of biking, it can and probably is a real benefit to your body and mind to have a little focus on another activity. It could increase the smile on your face when you do get back on the bike or increase your riding.
So, what other cross training activities are useful? Running is an obvious substitute. If you aren't carrying an injury, as it is weight baring, I find in short times doing running you can achieve equal effort to a longer bike ride. If you do have a slight niggle or you want something you can reduce the intensity of, giving swimming a try. If you want to get out of the cold try the gym or, badminton or squash if you have someone to play against.
There are plenty of activities out there to try as a substitute to bikingwhilst the winter passes. Who knows you may stick at one and enjoy it more than biking? Although I doubt it!!!
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