Stay in Shape - Cycling Workouts For the Winter Months

It's that time of year. The time when you decide it's fine to ride in 12 degree weather. The time when your food and water freezes, your hands and feet go numb, and your bike gets covered in water and road salt...

It's the time of year when you decide that you were a freakin idiot for going outside!

That "time of year" for me was yesterday. My first ride outside in sub 25 degree weather. It's the same every year. Through spring, summer, and fall you tend to forget just how bad it is... and you think you're tough enough to handle it. Well... you're not!

Just one ride brings back the painful experiences of just one year ago. The warming of frostbitten hands and feet - what a way to end a ride! It's enough to make me want to stay out in the cold!

I even bought a trainer this year. And I wore it out after a month. So, inevitably, I rode outside in frigid temperatures. Now I'm getting ready to buy some rollers. Then I'll stay inside like a sane person!

Perhaps I'll even pick up some workout videos. I have a CTS mountain biking video, the Spinervals might be ok, but I'm more interested in the Cyclo-core workouts. [See resource box below.] There's a little bit of everything - riding, light lifting, etc. - and best of all: just 30-60 minutes each!

You get to stay inside, avoid trainer boredom, and you don't even have to go to the gym! Definitely too good to pass up!

Even if you don't want to buy anything, check out the site for a free special report: "Five Secrets to Double Your Off-Season Fitness"

Moral of the story: This is the off-season. Don't ride outside if it's below 25 degrees. And feel free to use this as an excuse to spend the winter in California!

Levi Bloom is the owner of Bloom Bike Shop and the webmaster of http://bloombikeshop.com

Check out his site for more useful articles on cycling and bike repair. And if you're interested in CycloCore workouts, check out http://bloombikeshop.com/cyclocore.

More Resources

Fat Burning Exercises
Fat burning exercises are the slow, aerobic, long duration types of exercise that involve most of the major muscle groups. Your body will burn a higher percentage of calories from fat with lower intensity cardio exercises.

Running for Success
Though it may not seem like it when we're drenched in sweat and our legs feel like lead, marathon running is as mental as physical. When we're exhausted, continuing consists of mind over matter.

Elliptical Trainer Benefits
There are so many elliptical trainer benefits to list that some would say it's the perfect way to exercise. Elliptical exercise trainers meet the overall need of any exercise program.

Integrated Training for Improved Cycling Performance - Part 1
As we all know cycling is a great way to improve your overall cardiovascular fitness. However, what you may not know is that over time the demands of cycling can lead to muscular imbalances which can limit the body's ability to perform at peak level and dramatically increase chance of both over-use injury and chronic pain.

The Fitness Cardio Secret That Propels Lance Armstrong
What is Lance Armstrong doing that you can do to improve your results?Most people exercise to lose weight, focusing solely on that one single goal. Butwait, it is not only about looking aesthetically pleasing, getting in those tight jeans,or losing ten pounds.

The Best Cardio Workouts
The benefits of exercise are abundant and well documented, and the best cardio workouts can increase your quality of life. One can hardly read a magazine or watch the news without stumbling across a study or doctor claiming a new benefit from exercise.

Aerobic Training
How to start your aerobic training program:Consider first setting your goals for sometime in the future; make sure they are realistic. Start easy, be kind to yourself.

Elliptical Workouts
Elliptical workouts basically involve aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. Elliptical cross trainers can be intimidating at first glance but once you get familiar with them you will find them easy to use and a fun part of your routine.

Why Your Cardiovascular Workouts Might Be A Big Waste Of Your Time
What if I were to tell you that most if not all of the cardiovascular exercise you do was worthless? Well, guess what? over 50% of the people who perform cardio in an attempt to burn fat are wasting their time? hours and hours of it! Are you one of them?Before you call me crazy, let me explain. I'm not saying that cardiovascular exercise can't or doesn't burn fat; it's just that most people are not performing the right type of cardio workouts.

Cardio-Boxing for Super Fitness
The major benefits of cardio-boxing include:• Increased Stamina• Increased Strength• Increased Speed • Increased CoordinationCardio-boxing also promotes a person's well being by strengthening their self-discipline and combined with strength training it's well and truly the total package for self-defence and fitness and usually consists of:• Adjusted heart rate work • Actual boxing techniquesThe usual workout consists of the age-adjusted heart rate work starting with 10 minutes for beginners and leading up to 20 minutes for the more advanced. For the second part of the workout, you'll need to perform and practice 20 minutes of actual boxing techniques.

Burn 340 Calories a Day with Aerobic Exercise
Strengthen your heart and lungs and give your body a wonderful shape with Aerobics.Aerobic Exercise - Improve your fitness the right way.

A Cardio Snobs Workout
As I peruse the pages of various holiday issues of my favorite fitness/womens magazines I notice many articles about the benefits of practicing yoga at this stressful time of year. At the risk of sounding like a cardio snob, if I have 30 minutes a day (if I'm lucky) and i have to get into a special outfit in about a month and a half.

Are You Making This Cardio Mistake?
Are you exercising for long periods of time to try to burn fat? If you're like most people you probably are, but there is a better way. It's called "high intensity interval training" (HIIT) and lately it has started to become pretty famous for its obvious health benefits.

Playing Your Cardio Right
To many, that half-hour a day is the most enjoyable, most therapeutic part of your agenda. To others, it's as dreadful as taking out the trash and doing the dishes.

An Alternate Fitness Tool
Any competitive or recreational athlete will use a variety of cross-training methods or tools to complement their particular sport or to meet their fitness needs. One such tool that is becoming increasing popular is the Kickbike.

Running on Empty
A sexy pair of legs moseys its way down a soft, vacuumed carpet, around a bend, and through a long, narrow aisle.Suddenly, these shapely stems, which are encased in bright spandex, dissolve into a jungle of many others, instantly blending into the vibrant surroundings like chameleons.

Aerobic Activity Burns Fat
Aerobic activity is any exercise that helps you use oxygen more efficiently. It gets your heart pumping faster, makes you sweat and quickens your breath.

Cardios Effect on Overall Health
When most people hear the word "Cardio", their mind automatically pictures jogging, or threadmills, or stationnary bikes. Yes, those are some forms of cardio.

Better Cardio Workouts
The Cardio KingChange it upOne of the most important aspects to a cardio workout is changing it. Most people get bored with exercise simply because they pop these DVD's in and do the same thing everyday.

Chronic Headaches And Pain Often Can Be Eliminated By A Special Dentist
Denver, Colorado/Las Vegas, Nevada-Sometimes as Freud once said, "A good cigar is just a smoke." A headache, on the other hand, occasionally can be a sign of something much more serious than just a headache.

More Aerobics/Cardio Information:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Walking for Your Health
Walking is the easiest way of exercise because it is accessible at anyplace, anywhere and anytime. Several studies show that walking can:* reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile* reduce body fat* enhance mental well being* increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis* reduce the risk of cancer of the colon* reduce the risk of non insulin dependant diabetes* help to control body weight* help osteoarthritis* help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of fallsAlthough walking can reduce body fat for weight loss purpose, it is actually not an effective option of exercise, because it doesn't burn lots of calories and only bring small increase in metabolism.

Running in The Zone: A Personal Account
Running in The Zone has to be one of the most satisfying experiences. When it all fits together it can seem effortless and intensely rewarding.

Do You Need an Expensive Padded, Cushioned, Air Bubbled, Gelled Running Shoe?
Nike Free does not think so; and neither should you. Read on to find out why this concerns every one of us, our health and a good deal of wasted money.

Aerobic Cross Training for Weight Loss
Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimesfeel like you're not getting the resultsyou should from your aerobic exercise?If so, then aerobic cross-training isfor you.Aerobic cross-training refers to usingtwo to three different types of aerobicexercise during an exercise session.

Spinning Classes - Indoor Stationery Bicycle
Over the years I have changed my exercise routine continuously. That wasn't exactly planned, but it probably kept my interest up.

How To Jump Rope For Health and Fitness
Rope skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exerciseaccording to the U.S.

Too Much Water Can Kill
Long distance runners and other endurance athletes have long been educated to believe that drinking lots of fluids during a long distance or endurance event was critical. And if you didn't drink enough water, you ran the risk of dehydration.

Playing Your Cardio Right
To many, that half-hour a day is the most enjoyable, most therapeutic part of your agenda. To others, it's as dreadful as taking out the trash and doing the dishes.

Run for Your Life
Running is an ideal symmetrical activity for keeping fit. However, it is common for people to blame running for injuries rather than accept that it may be how they run that is at fault.

Spinning Exercise
Spinning exercise or studio cycling is not only popular these days it's an excellent form of fitness. It helps strengthen your heart, tone your glutes, calves, thighs in addition to being a great exercise to slim legs.

5 Tips for Starting Runners
So you've decided to take up running? Maybe you are starting back up after putting it off for years. Here is a list of tips that I have found beneficial to the starting runner or even the seasoned pro.

3 Keys To Finding Your Natural Running Stride
When I think back to when I was at school, my worst nightmare was running. I hated it, even more than football and rugy which I don't like even today.

Burn 340 Calories a Day with Aerobic Exercise
Strengthen your heart and lungs and give your body a wonderful shape with Aerobics.Aerobic Exercise - Improve your fitness the right way.

Running Tips
It's a good idea to consult your doctor before beginning any physical activity. The information in this article is not meant to be technical, it's just a guideline.