If you haven't yet read the 'learn' part from this week then click here. You will be able to read all about what the difference is between general fitness and rider fitness; why it is so important and why riders avoid doing it.
Clare Gangadeen from Ridercise has very kindly provided us with 4 exercises that will improve your riding. In each video she talks about what to do and how to make sure you are doing each exercise correctly.
How can i find out what parts of my riding i need to improve?
Ask someone to video you from the side, back and front as you ride. You will be able to see whether you are wonky, whether you have control of your leg aids, whether your hands are still and so on. Once you have an idea of what you need to work on you can begin finding exercises that work best to fix these problems.
4 Exercises that will improve your riding
Each of these exercises mimics our riding and the muscles we use (or want to use). The single leg exercises are also great for helping you see which side you are stronger on. Once you know which side you find easier, you can start to think about how this might relate to your riding.
When doing any form of exercise, consistency is key! So try to do these once a day, 5 days a week. If you are new to exercising then just complete one round: so 1 set of squats, 1 set of leg swings and so on. Then, as you feel more confident in the exercises you can increase the number of rounds you do each day.
Exercise 1: Full range Squats
Exercise 2: Single Leg Swings
Exercise 3: Lunges
Exercise 4: Plank
To be really beneficial, try switching these stationary planks for dynamic ones. Alternate arm and leg movements. For example, you can take one arm off the ground and tap your opposite shoulder and then repeat with the other arm; or move one leg out to the side and back again and repeat with the other leg. Making yourself move in the planks will mimic your riding more and stop you from bracing, something we definitely don't want to do when we ride!