Bike fitness and health

Mysterio14

Hi!

I had spent the last year in japan travelling (i live in England now) and working with my girlfriend and i couldn't believe how many people rode bicycles there daily and how fit the Japanese people are and it's really started to turn a new gear inside me for a new passion of bicycling however i have a few issues, mostly health related and how to ease my way into a regular routine of cycling around town without dying of breath or muscle pain.

So i weight 16 stone (101kg) and my life style has been sitting on my computer and playing games and going work, so my cardio is extremely poor. When i get onto my bike and go for a general ride, i warm up before, arm stretches, leg stretches, breathing but after 3 minutes i am having to stop due to pain and out of breath.

What would you guys/girls recommend for a simple and beginner friendly exercise to slowly work my body into shape so i am able to get on my bike and start to actively work on my cardio like that.

This may not be the best place to ask for fitness/health related questions but i figured that most bicyclists are pretty fit and healthy and they would be the best to guide me!

Thank you very much,
kyle

wongataa

You shouldn't really be doing stretches before working out. They should be done afterwards.

If you are out of breath very quickly then you need to reduce the intensity until you can keep going for a reasonable amount of time. Then you can work on slowly increasing the workout intensity.

Is the discomfort due to the intensity? If so the above will help that. If not, then it is likely that your position on the bike needs to be improved.

imposter2.0

Agree, stretches aren't really necessary. But it depends what you mean by 'pain and out of breath' - it might simply be a lack of CV fitness, in which case you just need to keep at it. If the 'pain and out of breath' feeling is particularly sharp and is always brought on by exertion of any sort (even like going up stairs, etc), then a trip to the doctor might be in order..

homers_double

Agree to both of the above. If increasing the distance and fitness is what you're aiming for then start small and increase slowly. Evan a walk will help CV fitness, building up from a standard pace to brisk over a few weeks.

Put simply, your heart etc are not used to exertion, therefore take it slow and steady, and good luck.

fenix

Just ride slower - its not a race. It's meant to be fun.

You need to look at your diet though - cut down on what you are eating. The body is very efficient so you would need to do hours of cycling every day to lose weight through that alone.

Have fun.

mercuryrev

You shouldn't stretch before you do anything else, you need to get your blood pumping and your heart rate up a little before doing any stretches. As others here have said the stretches come after the cycling.

Where are you getting pain?

Perhaps just get on your bike and ride, just gentle, easy, flat riding and build up the distance and time slowly. British Cycling do some excellent training plans which are well worth reading. But don't jump in the deep end, it doesn't work.

There is no need to do anything strenuous to start with, it isn't a competition and to get fit takes a while. Listen to your body and if it hurts, stop.

Take your time, read up on getting fit by cycling and enjoy!

Tricky tree

I would suggest that to begin with you need to find your baseline.
ie cycle a route or for a set duration at a pace that you can sustain without getting out of breath or your muscles hurting.
Slow the pace right down until you can complete the route and then work from there. Gradually increase the distance and or pace.
Otherwise you run the risk of hurting yourself and then going right back to the beginning.

In my opinion, dynamic stretches - lunges, squats etc - could help as part of an overall routine to increase your CV fitness and will also help with flexibility etc.

meursault

Pick a distance you know you can do. Increase by 10% weekly. Health and fitness and weightloss will come relatively quickly, within three months.

StillGoing

Fenix wrote:

Just ride slower - its not a race. It's meant to be fun.

This.

You can't expect to be doing any speeds or distances like other cyclists, even ones much older than you. Start slowly content with just turning the pedals. Try and avoid any hills to avoid becoming demoralised if you have to get off and walk. Do a cadence that you are comfortable with and ignore suggestions about minimum cadence. Baby steps.

I remember when I first started riding bikes again at 40, that 5 miles was considered a major achievement, despite not being quick with it either. Speed and distance gradually increase and targets become bigger and bigger until you're riding an imperial century with confidence.

crescent

philthy3 wrote:

Fenix wrote:

Just ride slower - its not a race. It's meant to be fun.

This.

You can't expect to be doing any speeds or distances like other cyclists, even ones much older than you. Start slowly content with just turning the pedals. Try and avoid any hills to avoid becoming demoralised if you have to get off and walk. Do a cadence that you are comfortable with and ignore suggestions about minimum cadence. Baby steps.

I remember when I first started riding bikes again at 40, that 5 miles was considered a major achievement, despite not being quick with it either. Speed and distance gradually increase and targets become bigger and bigger until you're riding an imperial century with confidence.

Agree 100% with the above and it more or less sums up my cycling "career". Enjoy it and always leave yourself wanting more. If you sicken yourself you risk losing the motivation to go out and do it again. Once the cycling bug really bites treat yourself to an upgrade as a reward for meeting a target........and so the pattern begins

DeVlaeminck

Purely for weight loss and general fitness walking isn't a bad way to start. Of course if you prefer cycling then cycling with a similar effort level to walking will be fine - that means find a flat route and try and keep the effort level so you could hold a conversation if you had to.

I don't agree that exercise isn't that relevant to weight loss - I've certainly found my weight goes up when I stop training - yes I could adjust my diet but both are relevant. Don't view exercise as just high intensity stuff though - an active job makes a fair difference over a desk job.

As above too if you are getting chest pain and the kind of shortness of breath that worries you see a GP.