Melissa Maskery is the NSW Group Fitness Manager at Fitness First and coaches Cycle classes, a fantastic freestyle stationary cycle workout that will build endurance and provide great cardiovascular training.
Here are some of her tips for those in the travel industry to stay fit, but also give some advice to clients going on a cycling holiday.
What are the best exercises to do to prep for a cycling holiday?
It’s a very specific type of fitness that you want to focus on to prepare you for a cycling. Holiday: low impact, but high intensity. The obvious place to start is to jump into a cycling class as these will take you through a range of hills, flats and sprints and prepare you for what to expect.
I lead Cycle classes at Fitness First, which is a freestyle stationary cycle workout that builds endurance and provides great cardiovascular training. You can also do RPM™ classes which are suitable for all fitness levels and will have you taking on hills, flats, mountain peaks, time trials, and interval training.
You also want to train to increase your cardiovascular fitness so you can ride for long periods of time. Walking is very underrated for this, so I would suggest going for long walks. Steady state running as well as shorter high intensity internal training (HIIT) workouts will also help to increase overall fitness and strength. The Freestyle classes at Fitness First, such as Athletic or HARDCORE, are perfect for this
Should people see a doctor before going on one?
Yes, I would definitely recommend having medical clearance before you take on something like a cycling holiday which would potentially involve riding for hours at a time. You want to make sure you’re not going to bring up any previous injuries you might have or underlying medical conditions that might put you at risk when out on the bike.
How can people avoid injuries on these kinds of holidays?
The best way you can avoid injury is by being prepared, and especially doing the right training beforehand. The more fit you are when you hop on the bike, the less likely you are to injure yourself.
I would also suggest that people be aware of their limitations when they’re on the holiday and knowing when to pull back. You might think you’re okay to keep pushing yourself while on the bike, but it might not be until later that night or even the next day that you realise you’re injured.
Being mindful of having the correct position on the bike is also key. Riders should make sure to engage their core so they don’t exacerbate lower back pain or injury.
What is the best way to recover from an active day? (cold bath, massage, feet up, yoga?)
A key part of recovery is going to be stretching after each ride. You will find the hamstrings and calves will get especially tight so it’s important to release these each night. I would also suggest foam rolling if you can carry one with you, but even using a tennis ball will work.
When you get off the bike at the end of the day, you want to think about reversing the position you’ve been in so stretches to open up the back of the shoulders and lower back are very good. If you have a couple of yoga stretches that you know and are comfortable with then definitely incorporate those.
On a cycling holiday you might have long periods of high-intensity exercise, so you want to make sure you unwind at the end of the day and sleep well every night so you’re not waking up tired. Anything that induces a good sleep and helps you unwind is going to be crucial: massage, yoga, stretching, a good meal, etc. Have someone willing to massage your feet while they’re elevated? Even better!
To learn more about the facilities and group training options at Fitness First that will help you prepare for an upcoming cycling holiday, visit www.fitnessfirst.com.au.
