Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

You’re on your way to 100 miles! How you get there is up to you. Yes, you can take the route most traveled and walk or run your way to hit quota. But here is a little start-up advice for anyone interested in the other low impact options available to get your miles in through the challenge:

Cycling

With the ratio of 3 miles cycled to 1 mile counted toward your quota, you want to make sure your bike is set up correctly for your body. First, while standing on the ground, the seat should be even with the top of your hip bone. This should allow appropriate length from your hips to your pedals. An easy secondary check is to sit on the bike seat and make sure your leg is straight with your heel on the pedal (rather than your midfoot, like you would to ride). Most stationary bikes do not allow an adjustment for the handles and display. But if you’re putting in miles on a spin bike, you’ll certainly be able to make it more comfortable by repositioning the handlebars to your liking. Since you aren’t worried about wind resistance, it is okay to set your handlebars up high and be in a comfortable, upright position.

One last tip for mileage tracking: Most spin bikes do not accommodate for a “gear” or level increase; meaning you will accrue miles faster the faster you pedal!

Spin Bike Safety: Unlike trail bikes or stationary exercise bikes, spin bike pedals are fixed to the fly wheel and do not slowdown like a regular cycle. Use the stop function by pressing the resistance knob if your feet come out of the pedal cage or you need to stop quickly.

Rowing

Every 1600 meters on the row machine is 1 mile towards your goal! If you have never used a row machine before, here are some quick tips to get you started on your journey:

First, slide your foot into the footrests; they have a strap to lock your toes in place and a heel cup that will allow the bottom to follow your foot up as you bring the seat back to the starting position. When you slide forward all the way (the beginning of your stroke), your shin bones should be perpendicular to the floor. If your shin bones don’t line up, adjust the sliders on the footrests to allow the appropriate movement pattern.

Once you have gotten yourself in proper starting position and tightened your straps around your foot, grab the handle, engage your core and back muscles while you use your legs to push yourself backwards. Once your legs are straight, lean back (following the movement with your body), and then pull the handle to your body with your arms to finish. To return to your starting position, reverse the order, straighten your arms, bring your upper body forward, and bend your legs to slide back to the starting position.

Resistance? There is a resistance toggle on the fan of some row machines. Best practice for continuous effort, distance rowing, is to stick in the 4-5 range (usually halfway). If you’re looking to increase strength and put in miles at the same time, you can certainly crank it up – but I would start slowly and build your rowing pattern efficiency first!

Elliptical

The elliptical machine is mile for mile in the 500 challenge. If you are just starting out or haven’t worked out regularly for some time, an elliptical is a great place to start to build you endurance. The machine is very user friendly and accommodating to most body shapes and sizes.

Step onto the machine while holding one of the fixed handles (the tall handles move with the pedals). Once you begin pedaling, the display will come on. Adjust the resistance level and incline of your pedal stroke to find the most comfortable setup for you. The pedals are very large to allow an appropriate foot placement for most heights.

In general, you want to avoid locking your knees or bouncing while on the elliptical. You should be able to keep your feet comfortably on the pedals through the entire movement. Keep it smooth and start slowly with your back straight and head tall.

Whatever mode you choose, always remember that the NIFS staff is available to help set up your machine or show you how every machine in our facility works. If you have general questions or want to try something new, please direct those questions to our staff in person or via email at any time. Most of all, have fun and stay safe on the road to 500!

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What Makes Cycle So Great?

Ready to switch up your cardiovascular fitness routine? Give indoor cycling a shot. A cycle class has the capability to give you an intense workout while keeping the impact on your joints at a minimum. The group environment of a cycle class allows you to feed off the energy in classroom and the instructor, while motivating your fellow participants.             

Indoor cycle is a great workout for all fitness levels. Each participant can determine their own desired difficulty based on the instructor’s cues.

For Your First Cycle Class

If it has been a while or your first time in a cycle class, arrive 10-15 minutes early to get assistance from the instructor setting up your bike. The instructor will be able to tell you how to adjust your bike and what cue the form so you can be set up for success before class has started.

During the class, the instructor will remind of this proper form we must maintain even during challenging portions of the ride. Along with this, you will be guided on how challenging the ride should be and what you are looking to achieve during the ride. This gives a teamwork feel to your indoor cycling ride, while pushing to be better during each segment of the class.

Hydrate! Make sure you bring plenty of water to cycle classes. Even with the use of fans, indoor cycling gets sweaty. Don’t be afraid to use active recovery portions of the ride to take a moment to drink some water and wipe of the sweat. You are working hard; you deserve a breather!

You should wear something that you feel comfortable in for cycle class. Due to the intensity of the workout, it tends to be a sweaty one. Wear a top that is made of a sweat wicking fabric. Tank tops can be great for temperature control and comfort. For bottoms, workout tights/leggings, biker shorts, or athletic shorts can all be suitable options. If the bottoms are comfortable and not loose enough to get caught on the indoor bike, you are good to go. Normal gym shoes are fine for cycle class, and you can strap into the cage pedals. If you attend cycle classes, more regularly, bike shoes that clip into the pedals are also an option.

What do you enjoy most about cycle classes? Share in the comments! 

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