Instead of a coffee break, take a stretch break for a boost of vitality. Simon Vincett has six stretches you can do in ten minutes at your desk. Office-chairs have a bad rep, with many health authorities pointing out that sitting down for the majority of the work day increases our risk of disease. A whole
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Iain Treloar reflects on depression, mortality and the escape of bike riding. It was a year ago that I heard he wasn’t well. There’d been signs—erratic behaviour, symbolic of the peaks and troughs in emotion that would retrospectively point to his diagnosis as bipolar. He’d been forced to move back home from interstate to rest
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Physio Fiona White complied this set of stretches for riders on the RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride and they’re great to follow any ride. Before we start, here are a few simple stretching guidelines to follow: 1. Focus on muscles that are tight in your own body. We are all different and our bodies react differently to exercise.
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You’ll find poise and balance on the bike and in life with Pilates finds Debra Mayrhofer. One of the most vital skills for riding with others is the ability to hold your line while you are doing other tasks, such as reaching for a drink bottle, signalling, scanning behind or even just ringing your bell.
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Strength training will help keep you young, healthy and improve your riding. Exercise physiologist Vanessa Lougoon has developed a strength routine suitable for everyone. Are you one of the many riders with super-strong legs but puny arms? Can you ride for hours but are barely able to do one sit up? Many riders have good
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Using a combination of bike riding and sensible eating, you can soon be in great shape for the season of shorts and T-shirts, writes Stephen Huntley. For many, winter can be a time of indoor living and cosy comfort eating. It’s common to stack on a few kilos during those months, but with the weather
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Post-ride stretching converts your valuable exercise into flexibility and stable posture. Vanessa Lougoon selects a super six collection of static stretches for maximum effect in minimal time. Workload guidelines > Perform each stretch two times each for 20–30 seconds for each stretch. (If time is limited perform only one set.) > Gently move into each position until you
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Despite what the media and diet industry tells us and contrary to popular opinion, being skinny doesn’t equal being healthy, explains keen rider and nutritionist Jo Chambers. Food and eating plays an integral role in our social, work and family life. It is a critical contributor to our physical well-being, a source of pleasure and a major
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Slim and lean, big and powerful or somewhere in between; whatever your body type, bike riding can help you get in shape, writes Stephen Huntley. As the weather improves and winter layers are shed, you may be reflecting on the sort of shape you’ll be revealing to the world. A bit of weight loss may
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Use the time spent waiting for your mates with this dynamic stretch from Vanessa Lougoon. Before riding the best warm up is dynamic stretching, which involves a progressive stretch through a specific range of movement. This is far better than the traditional static stretching. In dynamic stretching the end position is held for 1–2 seconds.
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