{"id":1383,"date":"2020-04-02T08:53:47","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T08:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?p=1383"},"modified":"2020-04-02T08:53:47","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T08:53:47","slug":"cross-training-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2020\/04\/02\/cross-training-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Cross Training at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s well known that cross training is something all cyclists should do to stay healthy and injury free. But did you know you can do pretty much all of it at home? Let\u2019s take a look at various cross-training exercises that will cover strength, power, mobility, flexibility, and cardio, regardless of weather or time of year.<\/strong>
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Strength<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Strength training is probably the only thing that has been convincingly proven to work for injury prevention in sports. And not only that \u2013 building strength in your legs carries over to cycling performance too. That\u2019s why it should be implemented in your cross-training plan regularly. Ideally, you should have at least two sessions of strength training a week. Check out our previous article<\/a> if you need tips for exercises and guidelines on how to do them.<\/p>\n

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Eliminating mobility limitations and keeping your body flexible will do wonders for both your cycling performance and how you feel overall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mobility and flexibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The next best thing for injury prevention after strength is mobility and flexibility. Eliminating mobility limitations and keeping your body flexible will do wonders for both your cycling performance and how you feel overall. That\u2019s where Yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi come in. They help you loosen up tight muscles, especially after a lot of sitting in front of the computer or TV and on the bike. Plus, they teach you better breathing patterns, which is a useful bonus for any athlete. If you don\u2019t have experience with any of the abovementioned styles of exercise, try our photo guide for the three most important stretches<\/a> for cyclists instead.<\/p>\n

Power<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can improve your cycling power even without equipment \u2013 as long as there are stairs near you. Stair climbing is very similar to cycling. You use the same muscle groups as on a bike and you apply power one leg at a time. You can even do mini-intervals of 30 seconds full on and 15 seconds of rest, depending on the length of the stairs available to you. If you have no stairs near you, don\u2019t worry, you can do squat jumps instead. You start out in a squat and then jump up, trying to get as high as possible, and then land back in the squat. You can develop explosive power for sprints doing this exercise but keep in mind that it\u2019s high impact, especially on your knees, so build up intensity and duration gradually.<\/p>\n

Cardio<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Doing cardio at home might sound weird or virtually impossible to many cyclists. But there are a few exercises that can do the trick if you need them to. One of the most reliable ways to get your heart racing are burpees. You don\u2019t need any equipment, just a little bit of space and you will be sweating in no time. If you\u2019re unsure how to do a proper burpee, check out this CrossFit video guide.<\/p>\n

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