maintaining "cycle" fitness

[NotFlyingScot]

Any tips on best forms of exercise to try and maintain some level of "cycle" fitness over a nine week break from riding? Going from 300k a week to zero is a bit of a concern. We are travelling so no access to any types of fitness equipment.
NFS

[ni78ck]

i will be having the same dilema soon. put on a pair of sneakers on and run!

[drubie]

i will be having the same dilema soon. put on a pair of sneakers on and run!

+1 - take a pair of sneakers, find some hills, run up them.

[casual_cyclist]

I was wondering if stair climbing uses the same muscles. I know it's good for cardio but not sure about muscle groups.

[Missy24]

I was wondering if stair climbing uses the same muscles. I know it's good for cardio but not sure about muscle groups.

Will give you a great bum!

[NotFlyingScot]

Was a bit worried the answer might be " run" . I have an aversion to running ( reason I took up the bike as a non impact alternative form of getting fit). I don't mind walking up steep hills and will be spending a lot of time with plenty steep hills around. How would that do?

[sogood]

Basic aerobic endurance exercises and that comes down to swimming and jogging.

[Missy24]

Was a bit worried the answer might be " run" . I have an aversion to running ( reason I took up the bike as a non impact alternative form of getting fit). I don't mind walking up steep hills and will be spending a lot of time with plenty steep hills around. How would that do?

Walking is just as good as running

[philip]

Any sort of aerobic exercise will be good for general fitness, but I don't think there's any substitute for cycling when it comes to muscle usage. When I was on holiday last year I met my brother who had been jogging 7km every day - I thought "I'm fit, I'll be able to do that with him easy". I did it, but my legs were really sore for the next couple of days - jogging uses totally different muscles which I obviously don't usually use.

[ni78ck]

Any sort of aerobic exercise will be good for general fitness, but I don't think there's any substitute for cycling when it comes to muscle usage. When I was on holiday last year I met my brother who had been jogging 7km every day - I thought "I'm fit, I'll be able to do that with him easy". I did it, but my legs were really sore for the next couple of days - jogging uses totally different muscles which I obviously don't usually use.

i might call you one of these days to go for a run! that may be the only way to beat you

[a]

I run a little as well as cycle. While the aerobic fitness is transferable between them, they use your legs in very different ways. For starters, running is load bearing (so not a bad thing for the bone density).

Walking is not the same as running as you use your legs slightly differently again. With walking it's also harder to hit a high heart rate unless you have some really vicious hills.

If you can't ride for a while, your cycling specific fitness will drop off. The best you can probably do is maintain a good aerobic base. Run, swim or walk (but get that heart rate up).

If you run, start slow or you will injure yourself. Google the couch to 5 k program.

If walking up viscous hills, find a gentle way down or you'll blow your knees/Itb/Achilles.

[Andrew69]

Was a bit worried the answer might be " run" . I have an aversion to running ( reason I took up the bike as a non impact alternative form of getting fit). I don't mind walking up steep hills and will be spending a lot of time with plenty steep hills around. How would that do?

Walking is just as good as running

Maybe if you are used to sitting on the couch, but I doubt that walking will cut it after normally riding 300kms per week on the bike.

[Rockford]

Stick one of these in your bags

[zozza]

I'm surprised nobody said it yet,
Skipping Rope, it's harder than riding up hills

[leximack]

only one form of exercise needed Sandy.
It involves the bedroom (or anywhere really) and the miss's (or any willing partner )
Pretty sure you can think of the rest

Don

[sogood]

I'm surprised nobody said it yet,
Skipping Rope, it's harder than riding up hills

You can't be serious!



In any case, skipping requires equipment...

[didge]

I wouldn't mock sogood, almost every single boxer/kickboxer on the planet skips as a part of their training. Although it's great for training something like boxing, where you have intense exertion for 3min periods, I'm not sure how useful it would be to replace a steady, anaerobic endurance exercise like distance cycling.

And it takes practice. Back when I was muay thai training it took me ages before I got the hang of it before I could use it to get any training benefit.

[zozza]

In any case, skipping requires equipment...

Travelling with a jump rope in your shaving bag could be a burden for some? What was I thinking?

Give it a go Sandy, It's medium impact, builds stamina, one of the best cardio workouts out there, Burns mega cals and you'll get oh so sexy calves

[Andrew69]

only one form of exercise needed Sandy.
It involves the bedroom (or anywhere really) and the miss's (or any willing partner )
Pretty sure you can think of the rest

Don

Could you explain for me. In detail.
Im a bit slow on the uptake today

[NotFlyingScot]

only one form of exercise needed Sandy.
It involves the bedroom (or anywhere really) and the miss's (or any willing partner )
Pretty sure you can think of the rest

Don

Appeal to moderator.
Can you please stop these young maltese stallions from goading we older anglo-saxon males??
But I remember the days. But then again they say if you can remember the 60's you were not really there. That I refute. Take it from someone who was there, t'was good

[mikesbytes]

In addition to the cardio activities suggested, you could do some body weight resistance exercises and of course stretching.

[grosry]

I'm surprised nobody said it yet,
Skipping Rope, it's harder than riding up hills

You know what... I was thinkin the same up untill your post!
Great workout and so much you can do with a skipping rope.

[USM TOM]

im out of action with a back issue and am worried about loosing fitness after 3-4 weeks

do you loose that much fitness??
if so does it take long to get back to where you were before taking a break??

[Alex Simmons/RST]

im out of action with a back issue and am worried about loosing fitness after 3-4 weeks

do you loose that much fitness??
if so does it take long to get back to where you were before taking a break??

Depends. Anywhere from 1/2 to 3 months.