During winter, opt for cross-training

To progress, you have to train. Cycling is no exception to the rule. But winter can discourage many a cycling enthusiast. Shorter days, bitter cold and unpredictable weather conditions (wind, fog, freezing drizzle, etc.) are all reasons why it can be difficult to stay motivated on the bike. Riding in the rain or snow exposes cyclists to many and varied dangers (slipping, falling, etc.). Exposure to the cold not only causes vasoconstriction of the capillaries that redistribute blood deep down to the vital organs to keep them warm. It also increases the heart's oxygen requirements (heart rate, blood pressure and plasma concentration). Not to mention that every effort also demands a great deal of energy. All these factors can increase cardiovascular risk. But giving up training is not an option for cycling enthusiasts. While the home trainer is an excellent alternative and a good way of optimizing core work, velocity, strength... for many riders, this winter period means less time in the saddle. That's where cross-training comes in. As well as saving and brightening up your winter months, it saves you from having to start all over again in the spring. Your body will be ready to get back on the road in no time for new adventures on two wheels.

The benefits of cross-training

Little-known or all too often neglected, cross-training helps to maintain and even improve general fitness, so that you can tackle the next season even stronger, both physically and mentally. Incorporating complementary sporting activities into your cycling program improves the quality of your preparation, and consequently your performance. Let's face it, doing the same activity over and over again, repeating the same exercises, movements, outings... in almost identical fashion, can become counter-productive. You're always working the same muscles and muscle groups. The body gets used to the effort, stops developing and stagnates. To progress, you need to vary your pleasures. There's nothing like cross-training to challenge the body in new ways and break the routine.

To become more complete

By introducing complementary physical activities into your schedule, you can develop different skills in specific ways. Each discipline requires its own particular dispositions. Mixing them allows the body to work muscles and skills it doesn't normally use. There's no better way to perfect your strengths and reinforce your weaknesses. Better overall fitness also reduces the risk of injury.

Prevent the risk of injury

Cross-training is one of the best ways to protect your joints and avoid a large number of injuries. As in the workplace, any repetitive movement can lead to wear-and-tear damage. Strengthening the abdominal muscles is essential. Good sheathing and well-toned deep muscles will help you combat lower back pain, improve your balance and posture, and optimize the transmission of forces between the lower and upper body. Only a stable core allows optimum transmission of force to the pedals.

To boost motivation

Practicing a single sport can quickly become monotonous, with the impression of being on automatic pilot. Diversifying disciplines is one of the best ways to combat routine, and avoid the weariness and boredom of repeating a single activity. Pleasure is an essential source of motivation. And motivation is the energy of pleasure that enables us to reach our goal.

What are these in cycling?

General physical preparation (PPG) aims to develop and harmonize your overall physical qualities: endurance, complementary sports muscle tone, sheathing, strength, speed, coordination and flexibility. Weight training strengthens the thighs in particular. Strong legs protect knees and back. Pilates and yoga are good ways to work deep muscles. Working on the alignment of the skeleton, legs, arms and head compensates for muscular imbalances, makes the spine more flexible and improves posture on the bike. Freed from tension, you gain a certain amount of energy that you can put back into your pedaling power. Swimming enables you to work on your endurance while resting your body from microtrauma, strengthening your lower limbs, building up your back muscles and improving your posture. Each stroke has its own virtues. Breaststroke, in particular, tones the biceps, shoulders and pectorals. The crawl, which involves rotating the upper body, works the pectorals, back and abdominal muscles... The backstroke muscles the abdominal muscles, back, shoulders and triceps.   In short, cross-training adds more workouts to the week, without increasing the mechanical load or over-fatigue, and therefore the risk of overuse injury. Why deprive yourself?