Lifestyle Tips

At Velogique, we are passionate about sustainable, practical, healthy, active lifestyles.

While we acknowledge that there is not much we can do about your emotional and spiritual well-being, we know that a regular exercise routine makes for healthy bodies and minds. We like to think that part of our purpose is to prepare you for the future, making sure that you undergo the ageing process as well as possible.

As mentioned in several articles, we strongly recommend cross training as a method of combating injuries which often occur with repetitive training. The two examples I like to use are weight lifting and cycling.

We think there is absolutely no point in being able to lift, push or pull huge weights, while not doing cardio exercise. The adage is that if you are unable to ‘run to catch a bus’ because you are so muscle-bound, then what’s the point.

If you only cycle to keep fit, you run the risk of low bone density as you get older. The potential result is brittle bones which break with minimal impact.

So, not forgetting that this is a cycling website, and we love all things cycling, we remain aware of the body’s other needs. We also try to make the most of the time available, and assume that you are not a professional, or ultra competitive sportsman or cyclist.

The most important muscle to look after is the heart. To activate the heart you need to elevate your heart rate regularly. This means regular cardio workouts like running, cycling, rowing, swimming or boxing. The important thing is variety. It means breathing hard and sweating.

If you’re a serious cyclist, train five days a week, and add some light weights and strength on ‘rest’ days. By the way, you are likely never to need to move more than your own weight. So forget about the heavy weights.

If you are lucky enough to be a tri-athlete, you’re getting all the variety you need, and you already have to juggle your spare time around three disciplines.

If you’re a runner, please do some upper body exercises. You’ll look and feel better.

If you’re a swimmer or canoeist, you may need to do extra work on your legs.

Finally, if boxing is your sport, try and stay out of harm’s way, and good luck to you. It is a pretty thorough workout.

Again, weight control is a key to healthy living. You control it by managing input versus output. Input is what you eat and drink as measured in calories or kilojoules, and output is what you spend. If you consume more than what you use, you will put on weight. If you consume less than what you use, you will lose weight. Find a balance once you have reached your desired weight. Eat a varied diet too. For eating tips, refer to the ‘nutrition’ tab on the website.

As always, if you want a personal plan, please ‘contact us’.