Hello everyone. Today’s guest post comes from Ron Fritzke who is a cycling products reviewer, a former competitve runner and currently directs his competitive efforts towards cycling.
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Working from home has many perks and, as our economy adjusts, so do we. Freelancing from home has become quite popular. Even big companies are jumping in and outsourcing work to former employees.
As I sit at my computer working with my lunch at my desk, I realize there is one perk that may be too close at hand. Since you set the pace for when you take breaks, it is easy to work the old lunch break into a working lunch.
Losing Touch With The Outside World
Another drawback to working from home is losing touch with the outside world. When you operate your business from a computer it’s easy to narrow your view of the world.
This makes an exercise routine more important than ever. Since you set your own hours, you would think that working in a routine for fitness would be easy, right?
Wrong!
If you’re like me, it’s easier to grab a bite and carry on with that assignment. After all, it is due tomorrow! And if you don’t schedule your time, you can easily find yourself sitting at that computer past bed time.
Using High Intensity Interval Training To Stay In Shape
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a form of cardiovascular exercise that is beneficial to burning fat in a short and intense workout. While high intensity interval training is all the rage these days, it’s not something new.
When I was running competitively, intervals were a mainstay of our workouts. Before us, the best runners of the 1950’s were using short intervals of very high intensity to achieve revolutionary results.
Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 9 to 30 minutes. The original protocol set a 2:1 ratio for recovery to work periods. For example, a runner would alternate 30–40 seconds of jogging or walking with 15–20 seconds of hard sprinting.
Interval training can be used with any type of exercise that will get your heart rate up, including cycling.
HIIT Goes Hand In Hand With Cycling
Cycling is the ideal form of exercise for interval training. There is less stress on your joints as you smoothly pedal your way toward fitness. It is much easier to do hard and fast pedaling for 15 or 20 seconds than it is to sprint.
Here is an example of a HIIT workout on your bike:
•10 minute warm-up of easy spinning.
•10 minutes of alternating 10 seconds ‘all out’ effort with 20 seconds of easy spinning.
•10 minute warm-down of easy spinning.
Always check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. It might be wise to begin your training with a shorter duration. Simply change cut the times in half ending up with a 15 minute workout.
Starting with a shorter duration will ensure you don’t overdo it and get burned out before you have had a chance to reap the benefits.
Taking Your Routine Indoors With Bike Trainers
Don’t let bad weather put a damper on your fitness routine. You’ve enjoyed your new bicycle and are feeling great. But there are times when you just don’t have time to pull the bike out, change your clothes and cycle all over the neighborhood.
This is where bike trainers save the day. A bike trainer is a compact frame that will turn your bike into a stationary piece of equipment.
You can purchase a new bike trainer for around $170 to $300. They easily fold away and store compactly in the hall closet. And best of all, you can take 10-15 minutes to exercise anywhere in your home.
Indoor Trainers Come In A Variety Of Choices
Kurt Kinetic fluid trainers are top of the line bike trainers. In the eyes of serious cyclists, these trainers excel because they are quiet and are able to provide nearly limitless amounts of resistance.
The search for a ‘realistic’ ride leads some cyclists to search out the CycleOps fluid trainers. Their cam lever makes for easy loading of your bike on and off the frame. The CycleOps trainers have a few ‘bells and whistles’ like a cam lever for getting your bike into and out of the trainer with the least amount of effort.
Another choice is the CycleOps Super Magneto trainer. This trainer offers resistance that progresses in intensity as you pedal harder…all without the inconvenience of getting off your bike to adjust your trainer.
No matter what your needs, there is sure to be a bike trainer that will fit them.
In Summary
When you work from home, staying fit doesn’t have to take a back seat. Combine cycling indoors or out with HIIT (high intensity interval training) to keep those unwanted pounds away. Even busy entrepreneurs like you can find the time to fit this program into your schedule.
About the Author:
Ron Fritzke is a cycling enthusiast who reviews cycling gear for his website, Cycling-Review.com. Ron is also a former 2:17 marathoner who now directs his competitive efforts toward racing his bike…and looking for good cycling products.