Summer 2009
Get fit for Sum How to use your commute to look and feel 10 years younger
S
ummer is peeking over the horizon so now’s the ideal time to take advantage of the better weather and get fit for the holiday season. The good news is that cycling to work is an excellent way to get in shape, and you’ll be saving travel costs and gym fees into the bargain. You’ll also turn frustrating commuting time into efficient exercise time. Perfect! Cycling will tone up your muscles, improve your cardio-vascular system and get rid of excess fat. It’ll make you look younger and it’s a fantastic stress-buster too. There really isn’t a down side. Here’s how to make sure you you get the maximum fitness for your efforts…
14
1 Keep it consistent Riding regularly is the key to getting in shape and staying healthy. Gaining fitness is a step-by-step process; if you ride for a few days then miss a fortnight, you’ll lose the improvements you’ve made and have to start again. But if you ride consistently, you’re continually building on the fitness you’re already got. So if you really want to say goodbye to the spare tyre around your middle, you need to bring cycling into your lifestyle. Make riding to and from work part of your daily habit so you don’t even think about it and you’ll be on the road to long-term fitness.
2 Go the long way home The weather’s good, the evenings are long, you’re on your bike anyway… why not take a detour on the way home from work and do some exploring? Ride for just an extra 15mins and you’ll use up 100-250 calories. Do that regularly and you’ll soon start to shift the pounds and notice real gains in your fitness.