Health and Fitness

Wheather you are trying to "lose weight", improve your athletic performance, or just feel better, your goal is really fitness.

If you are already an experienced biker, being in shape will give you a boost in competition.
If you are trying to "lose weight" and look better, biking can be a fun aerobic activity to help get you in shape.

Some rough guidelines to help direct your goals:

First consult your physician before making any drastic changes in your diet or embarking on an excersize regime.
Remember, people are never overweight, they are overfat. Again consult a health professional to determint your fat content.
Starvation is not the answer. Most thin people eat more than fat people.
The answer is regular, aerobic activity where you elevate your heart rate to 65-80% of your maximum for 12 minutes or more. Why? Read the Getting Fit section.
For all you experienced bikers, aerobic endurance type fitness is the easiest to build. Do you lack staying power? Get fit.

How do you know if you are fit?

How do you get fit?

It can not be stressed enough: do not under-eat. As you become fit, your calorie needs will increase. Simply reduce the your fat intake, and increase your starch intake. Fruits are a great food since they have fiber, almost no (if any) fat, and plenty of water.
Practice aerobic excersize. Get your heart rate up to 65-80% of your maximum for twelve or more minutes. All through your excersive you burn both fat and sugar, but after twelve minutes you begin to better develop your fat-burning enzymes.
Repeat this excersize regularly. 20 min. a day 3 times a week is enough to start, but try to work toward a daily regime.
Don't worry too much about calories. Your concern is to help your body become a more efficient machine. Trying to burn as many calories is not even half the battle. The best excersize for you is the one you can do all the time, not necisarily the one that burns the most calories. If biking is what you love, its the best thing to do.

How should I maintain top performance?

Diet:

Low fat- try to reduce overall fat intake, especially saturated fats, which are harder to burn off.
High Carb- for energy. Stay ayay from processed sugar, they burn too quickly. Lots of bread and pasta!
Don't Starve- Eat plenty to keep your calorie cout high enough to support your active lifestile.
Eat a light cearial for breakdfast (don't forget nonfat milk for extra calcium), a bagel or other starch for lunch (with an apple and juice), then a pasta with red sauce for dinner.
If you get hungry in between meals you can always have a fresh fruit or vegetable for a snack.

Training:

about 5-10 miles ride or 3-6 mile jog 3 times a week
for most fat-burning excercize you should be active for at least 20 minutes to burn fat

Questions? Check out our links page or Mail us.

Wear Your Helmet!