You don’t have to work out to prepare your body to drive a car, so it’s easy to assume you don’t need to exercise to ride a bike. After all, the engine is doing all the work for you. However, whether you’re a weekend rider on your local roads or a track rider at a competitive level, bike fitness can be necessary for ensuring your comfort and improving your stamina. Don’t hit the road without trying these easy methods for improving your fitness.
Bicycling
Cycling is an excellent way to build endurance, putting you in an excellent position to ride further on your motorbike without feeling as much fatigue and discomfort as you would if you weren’t bike-fit. The muscles you use when riding a motorcycle tend to be the same when riding a bicycle, so consider regular cycling to work on your arms, shoulders, core, legs, and balance.
However, ask any bicycle accident lawyer in Phoenix, AZ, and they’ll tell you how important it can be to prioritize safety. Never leave your house on a bicycle, or a motorcycle, for that matter, without a helmet and high-visibility safety equipment.
Stretching
Just as you would stretch before exercising, consider doing the same before hopping on your motorbike. You’ll be riding with a static posture, and it’s easy to experience a loss of mobility and agility when you’re overworking particular parts of your body during regular riding and cornering.
You might prevent additional stress around your shoulders, back, and hips by stretching these parts before hopping on a bike. You might then enjoy better muscle stability and improved comfort.
Core Exercises
Your core muscles, which cover your stomach and back, support your upper body to keep weight off your hands and improve your balance. Strong core muscles allow for improved riding stamina, braking control, cornering, and even more comfortable dirtbike riding. You might like to try several core exercises, including the plank, bicycle crunch, glute bridge, and dead bug. The more often you focus on your core, the stronger it can be for your next motorbike ride.
Upper Body Exercises
Motorcycles are generally quite lightweight. Still, the average motorbike can weigh 500 pounds or more, which is a lot of weight for the average rider to be in charge of when they’re out for their casual weekend ride.
Prioritize upper body exercises, focusing on your arms, shoulders, and upper back for more bike control. Improved strength in these areas might also make tasks like cornering, accelerating, and heavy braking less labor-intensive. Pullups, wrist extensions, lateral raises, and shoulder presses can all be excellent options for building superior body strength for your next ride.
Leg Exercises
You might not be pedaling your motorbike, but that doesn’t mean your legs aren’t busy while you ride. Whether you’re out on a race track or putting your bike through its paces on a long-distance ride, your leg muscles will be responsible for keeping you firmly on your bike and well-balanced. Ensure they’re up to the task by prioritizing leg exercises, such as lunges, deadlifts, and squats.
Riding a bike is undoubtedly one of the best ways to get ‘bike fit,’ but it’s certainly not the only way. Prioritize muscle strength and stretching, and you might enjoy much more comfortable riding in the future.