There’s no doubt that winter is on its way. The nights are starting to draw in. The trees are turning all kinds of pretty golden and red colours and there is a definite chill in the air at times. As the weather worsens, it can be easy to leave your bike in the garage, promising yourself you’ll hit the trails again when the weather warms up.
But Cycling Weekly has recently offered some advice on how you can remain motivated to get in the saddle during the winter, and stay in shape in the coming months.
If you’ve been regularly riding all summer, including in competitions, the first top tip is to give your body a proper break. Take two weeks or so out of the saddle to relax and let your body recover from the busy mtb season.
Another thing you can do is sign up for a couple of mountain biking events in the spring. This will give you a goal to work towards and encourage you to go out for rides in the depths of winter.
This time of the year is also a great opportunity to introduce new things to your training regime. Book some mtb coaching to get some fresh ideas, for example. The publication suggested that this is a good time to bring strength-based exercise into your regime.
Building up your overall strength can help address imbalances in your body, reducing the risk of injury once you hit the trails again.
Maintaining your strength is also important as you get older, with a recent report by the Department of Health and Social Care highlighting the need to stay strong as you age to prevent falls and other injuries.
Pilates is another great way to keep in shape all year round, and it’s also perfect for off the bike training for cyclists. Found out more on our pilates page, here!