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Unfortunately, there will come a time in every cyclist\u2019s life when you can\u2019t hop on the bike and go for a long ride<\/a>\u2014or any ride for that matter. Maybe it only last for a few days, maybe a few weeks, or perhaps a few months. Whenever it happens, there\u2019s no need to panic. Your hard earned fitness will not disappear overnight and you can maintain your cycling fitness with a few key strategies. <\/p>\n There are three main categories that could be keeping you from riding: you\u2019re sick or injured to the point where training of any type isn\u2019t advisable, you\u2019re injured<\/a> for cycling but still mobile or able to build fitness in other ways, or you\u2019re simply not around your bike for a while due to a vacation or a work trip. <\/p>\n Here, we spoke to a few experts to get tips for each scenario so you can learn how to maintain your cycling fitness no matter why you can\u2019t ride. Plus, we got advice on what not to do! How to Maintain Cycling Fitness When You Can’t Ride at All \u27a5 Take Time Off<\/p>\n Before you start panicking about maintaining fitness, assess your situation. If you\u2019re sick<\/a> or injured<\/a>, often, the best thing to do for your fitness is to press pause. Former pro cyclist and certified road cycling coach, Jakub Novak<\/a> of Pro Cycling Coaching says that a few days off is going to be a lot more beneficial than trying to eke out any training possible. <\/p>\n You\u2019re better off using those training hours for extra sleep<\/a>, improved nutrition<\/a>, or gentle stretching<\/a>\u2014your body will recover<\/a> faster as a result. \u201cI see people try to push through illness or injury all the time instead of just taking a few days off, and they often end up hurting their fitness for weeks as a result,\u201d Novak says. \u201cIf they had just taken a few days off right away, they would have recovered much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Story\u27a5 Consult With an Expert<\/p>\n Of course, we know that every injury and recovery<\/a> period will be different. Because of that, if you\u2019re off the bike due to a physical limitation that\u2019s more serious than a common cold or a minor muscle tweak, talk with an expert. <\/p>\n Both Novak and mountain biker and physiotherapist, Amanda Sin recommend seeking guidance from a medical professional before doing any kind of training during illness or during\/after injury<\/a>. Every injury will have different limitations and healing timelines, and to maximize your fitness gains while minimizing risk, working with an expert is your best bet. <\/p>\n \u27a5 Use It as an Opportunity<\/p>\n Putting a pause on riding means you can focus on things like sleep or creating a mindfulness<\/a> or relaxation practice, Sin says. This plays into the \u201cwhole ecosystem for healing, which is really important,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n You can also use this time to do things like cleaning and tuning your bike<\/a>, working on learning how to change a flat<\/a> quickly, cleaning out your gear closet, and finally getting rid of those water bottles<\/a> that have been collecting mold in the back of your van. This sets you up for your triumphant return when the time is right.<\/p>\n \u27a5 Follow Your Doctors Recommends<\/p>\n The fastest way to get back on the bike and come back from injury<\/a> stronger than ever? Listen to your doctor and religiously do the physical therapy exercises that they recommend (no more, no less). \u201cThe sooner you get in to see a physical therapist and figure out what\u2019s going on, the better,\u201d says Sin. \u201cCatching an injury early can mean a faster recovery\u2014don\u2019t just push through pain<\/a> and hope it goes away.\u201d<\/p>\n Related StoryHow to Maintain Fitness When Your Cleared for Other Physical Activity But Not Cycling \u27a5 Get Some Rest<\/p>\n As mentioned above, when you\u2019re not able to train on the bike<\/a>, you can use that time to make huge gains in your health and fitness by dialing in other important parts of your life. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re someone who\u2019s not getting the requisite seven to nine hours of sleep<\/a> every night, use the newfound hours previously spent training to catch up. Kelly Starrett, physiotherapist and co-author of Built to Move<\/a>, says that sleep is often the biggest factor missing on a training schedule<\/a>, especially for serious endurance athletes who often sacrifice zzzs in favor of doing zone 2 rides<\/a>. Sleep is where much of the recovery process happens, so if you want to get back on the bike faster, sleep is the best medicine. <\/p>\n \u27a5 Dedicate Time to Building Your Strength<\/p>\n If you\u2019re recovering from an injury like an ACL tear, you\u2019re going to be limited in terms of movement, but you may still be able to keep your fitness by working on your weak points. Leg-based injuries offer a great opportunity to shift focus to your core<\/a> and upper body<\/a>, says Sin. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can focus on the strength training<\/a> and mobility<\/a> that works for you right now, so that you\u2019re maintaining that aspect of your fitness,\u201d she says. A strong core<\/a>, arms, and shoulders can improve your cycling immensely when you do get back on the bike, so focus on strengthening those areas rather than lamenting what you can\u2019t do. <\/p>\n Related Story\u27a5 Go for Walks<\/p>\n Starrett says that often, cyclists are actually not walking nearly enough from a health and longevity<\/a> standpoint. Use this time to fix that! If you\u2019re able to walk while in recovery from an injury or while dealing with a body limitation (like pregnancy<\/a>, making it tough to reach the handlebars!), aiming for 8,000 to 12,000 steps per day is a great goal\u2014and it will help you maintain that bike fitness so when you\u2019re ready to start pedaling<\/a>, you\u2019ll be back to your old paces in no time. <\/p>\n \u27a5 Use the Indoor Trainer\u2014Cautiously<\/p>\n There are some injuries like hand\/wrist, collarbone, and even concussions<\/a> where the indoor trainer<\/a> may be an option for you, if used carefully and cautiously. \u201cAn indoor trainer is a controllable way to maintain bike fitness when you can\u2019t\u2014or shouldn\u2019t\u2014ride outside,\u201d says Sin. \u201cStart really slow and easy though, focusing on just spinning to get some blood flowing. Make sure that you can balance<\/a> easily, that it\u2019s comfortable and that you\u2019re not over-compensating anywhere.\u201d <\/p>\n She notes that things like a sprained wrist may cause you to rely heavily on the other side of your body for balance, which can lead to more problems. So if you can\u2019t balance and feel as though you\u2019re overcompensating, skip the bike in favor of walking. You could also do lower-body strength work<\/a>, even if it\u2019s bodyweight<\/a> work because you can\u2019t hold a weight.<\/p>\n Related StoryHow to Stay Fit When Work or Life Keeps You Off the Bike\u27a5 Plan Ahead<\/p>\n Assuming you have a training schedule of some type, you have\u2014or should have!\u2014rest weeks built in every three to five weeks. Novak likes his athletes to note upcoming vacations, work trips, or times of the year where it\u2019s too busy to get in big hours on the bike, and he tries to make those times correspond with rest weeks. That way, you\u2019re not missing your biggest weeks of training<\/a>, and you\u2019re better able to fully enjoy vacation or focus on work. You can do the same by shuffling around your schedule to work with your time off.<\/p>\n \u27a5 Up Your Strength Training<\/p>\n Novak is a huge fan of strength training for cyclists<\/a>, and whether you\u2019re in a hotel at Disneyland with the family or stuck in a conference center for a week-long meeting, you can make strength gains happen. <\/p>\n A simple set of planks<\/a>, wall sits, and squats<\/a> (with or without weights) can lead to big gains on the bike\u2014and can be done in your hotel room if there\u2019s no gym access available. He also is a fan of yoga<\/a> to work on both strength and flexibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u27a5 Hike or Run<\/p>\n If you\u2019re unable to ride simply due to a lack of a bike, hiking or running<\/a> are great alternatives for maintaining fitness on a temporary basis, says Novak. But don\u2019t start running for an hour if you haven\u2019t been on a run since doing the mile in gym class back in high school! Start with brisk walking, run\/walk intervals, or hiking uphill if you\u2019re not a regular runner already. <\/p>\n Get Exclusive Training Programs and Digital Issues Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training with an emphasis on bringing more women into sport. She’s the author of nine books including the Shred Girls series and is the founder of Strong Girl Publishing<\/a>. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast<\/a> and spends most of her free time biking and running on trails, occasionally joined by her mini-dachshund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"6 min read Unfortunately, there will come a time in every cyclist\u2019s life when you can\u2019t hop on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":421671,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,8203,10236,538,137,5265],"class_list":{"0":"post-421670","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-carousel","11":"tag-core","12":"tag-fitness","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-service"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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