Are you planning for the adventurous motorbike trip? And confuse how you can prepare yourself appropriately for that. Well today we will guide you through that. Undoubtedly we all can agree on the point that riding a motorbike requires loads of physical stamina & mental focus.
Most of the motorbike tour preparation articles you will come across guides about preparation for the long motorcycle ride which tackles the equipment you will require on your ride. Bike riding is far different than driving a four wheeler. Riding a motorbike for prolonged hours can make you uncomfortable & you might get to face harsh weather conditions, for that you must have correct posture.
Motorbike riding is itself fun & adventurous but it requires adequate strength, stamina & focus. Along with your essentials and equipment you must prepare yourself physically before your tour. For knowing more about motorbike rides and essentials click here.
1) Increasing endurance
Motorbike riding involves long hours of riding in the lap of nature. While travelling on the highway you have to maintain a proper speed. The air splashes across your face. You should improve the fitness level of the lungs & heart for regulating the nutrients flow to your muscles and oxygen. It can be done by practicing aerobic exercises.
If you haven’t hit the gym since ages, and are pretty out of shape, you can consider starting with light exercise on your own. Such as walking & running. Activities like cycling & swimming also work really well for increasing your endurance.
We recommend you to do your aerobic workout routine upto 30 minutes minimum 3 times a week. Before you start practicing any cardio workout program, make sure you consult your physician. Especially if you haven’t been working out for a long time.
2) Acquiring and maintaining flexibility
Doing stretching regularly plays a very effective role in improving & maintaining flexibility. You must have high flexibility in the back, things, neck, & hamstrings as well. Developing flexibility in the body aids in maintaining the proper posture.
You can find a lot of content and material on the internet that will help you in creating your own stretching program. You can start by performing a nice warm-up session upto 5-10 minutes, after that a pretty deal of aerobic activity, such as cycling and running.
When you perform those stretching exercises, make sure to opt for the correct body posture. Inappropriate body posture can induce injury. Consistency & commitment are effective in achieving the flexibility before hitting the road.
3) Core Strength
Boosting your core strength is, especially for the long motorbike trip. The muscles of your core consist of the fibers that you utilize most while you are riding on the bike. Core muscles in the human body are embedded deeply, they are present in your abdominal region & back also cover the lower area of your spine.
They are hard to locate, that’s why they are overlooked mostly. People often relate it to bodybuilding. It’s essential for a motorcyclist to have matured and strengthened back.
Those muscles help with maintaining balance and stability. Exercises like yoga & pilates are pretty effective for strengthening your body’s core. Moreover, it helps in toning your abdominal, giving you a stylish look while you are riding.
4) Glutes Strength
Having a weaker or skinny back makes you vulnerable to back pains. Some of them can be serious. Riding for prolonged hours on your motorbike will increase the risk of developing back aches. It is something that you can’t have on your bike tour.
It will not only make you uncomfortable but can put your trip’s safety at risk. For knowing more about bike safety tips and tricks click here. Performing simple exercises will strengthen your back and glutes. It will play a positive role in making your bike trips pain free.
Human hips are one of the largest muscles in the body. It consists of fat & muscles that can be reshaped by performing exercises. If you are someone who is super skinny, you can consider accumulating fat in your glutes region; it will add up to your ride’s comfortability. Those additional will serve the purpose of cushioning your glutes region.
If you have adequate back strength, performing physical activity such as body weight & weight lifting workouts will play a positive role on your bike trip. We would recommend you to perform squats, deadlift and planks.
5) Strengthening your shoulders
Your shoulder and arm muscles are constantly under stress while you are riding a bike. On long road trips it’s your arm and shoulder muscles that stay in a static stretched position for longer hours. Staying in the same position can develop cramps in those muscle groups.
Strengthening muscles will enable you to hold that position comfortably for longer hours without tiring or feeling pain in your upper body. Doing muscle stretches or performing exercises which actively engage your upper body will help with that. We would suggest you to perform body weight workouts such as pull ups, and push ups for strengthening your upper body.
Right Before & During your Long Distance Ride
Now that we have told you how you can develop adequate strength in your body, you must prepare yourself adequately & trained properly for a few weeks before you head off for your epic ride. With right preparation you will surely have the most memorable trip of your life.
But make sure your body takes proper rest before you hit the road. Like marathon runners, no matter how hard or how long you have trained before the actual event, if you are restless right before the event you won’t be able to be at the top of your condition. And months of training will become useless. There are multiple ways of getting prepared adequately before your ride day.
You can do it by eating healthy and energizing foods. You can search about carb-loading and how it keeps you energized on your event day. It helps in building glycogen stores in your muscles which later gets converted into energy.
Before & during your big ride, try staying away from heavy and greasy foods, stick with the healthy and energizing meals such as oatmeal, cereals & fruits. Do not skip on healthy protein such as eggs and yogurt. Also try to pack energy bars and similar snacks for your quick refueling.
Stay hydrated throughout the ride. Staying hydrated is essential for physical functioning & mental alertness, while reducing your muscle soreness & cramps.
Drink a huge amount of water before your trip day, the hydration pack makes the hydration way easier. Riders tend to compromise on their water consumption wherever they need to drink more during the ride. Also consider taking non-drowsy medications, pain relievers and creams with you. Do not forget to take the first aid box with you.
No matter how prepared you are, there is a higher probability that you will get tired or develop some unwanted pain during your ride. This is something that you can’t afford on your way. So taking medicines is a must. Take optimum riding breaks on your way. Sitting in the same posture for long hours can develop cramps, and cause your muscles to soar.
Your blood pressure might get decreased as you will have to stay in the same position for longer hours. Easiest and quickest remedy for escaping is stretching. A simple stretch that engages your neck, butt, back & legs will be enough for doing the adequate job. You can do it while stopping for your fuel and meal breaks.
