Sometimes you just have to hook your bike up to your trainer or stomp onto the treadmill for some indoor training. Maybe you’re like me, and you have to fit your workouts into small portions of the day when your kids are preoccupied with sleeping or miraculously playing quietly in their room. Well, whatever keeps you from enjoying the vast roads outside, here are five of the best ways to while away the intervals.
If you’ve got aero bars on your bike, you’ll find these activities much easier to accomplish. But if you don’t have handy dandy aero bars, you can always rig up something like an iPad Bike Mount or lean it on a shelf or something.
So what are the top 5 coolest things to do while suffering on the trainer or treadmill?
1. Play Pro Cycling Manager/Tour De France
If you’re already stuck inside, then you might as well pretend you’re out on the greatest roads in Europe. Pedal and dream you’re riding the Tour de France with Pro Cycling Manager. Choose your favorite team and manage them to glory on the biggest stage in the world. You get to order around all the pros, tell them when to attack, come back for bottles, and when to start the sprint finish. It’s all at your fingertips, and it’s actually pretty fun. The 2013 version is now available for download
2. Read a Great Book
Reading is essential. Yes, I do have two degrees in English Literature, so I’m biased. But what better way to work out your body and brain simultaneously? Here are some of the most popular and anticipated books of the year–click the covers to read more about them, or to find related titles you might like.
3. Watch Inspirational/Instructional Videos on YouTube
Sometimes, I’ll be four minutes into a run on the treadmill, and I’ll feel like I’ve done plenty. Simply put, I need to trick my body into thinking it’s having a good time by watching videos on YouTube.
4. Get a Training DVD
Since you’re stuck on the trainer, you might as well look at a moving road in front of you. Here are a few training DVDs that won’t hurt your top end speed or climbing. I’ve heard Robbie Ventura’s workouts are really decent, but I haven’t tried them personally. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Or head back to YouTube for free training videos to keep you moving. Here’s a great 20-Minute High Intensity Workout from GCN:
5. Internet Shopping
There’s nothing like sitting on a really awful chamois churning out watts on the trainer to make you want a nice new pair of bib shorts. What better thing to do while pedaling away than browsing virtual aisles of jerseys, shoes, and other cool gear. OK, I’m not really advocating spending some cash every time you work out, but sometimes it’s fun to “window” shop. Here are some of my favorite places to shop:
Wiggle (above) has free US delivery too; don’t be fooled by their wordy banner.
- Voler.com (heck Voler will even give you $10 in free Voler Bucks as a follower of my blog)
- Runningwarehouse.com for all the shoes–and plenty of running clothes, hats, and accessories.
- Artscyclery.com has all the newest cycling and triathlon gear. They’re my favorite local bike shop, and they always have some killer deals.
Those are just a few ideas to keep you occupied while working out indoors, and looking back I didn’t quite intend for this to be one of those “and you can also buy this . . .” kind of posts. But oh well. To tell the truth, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my copy of the new Madden NFL for PS3. Besides, if you’re burning calories, you don’t have to feel guilty about playing video games or buying yourself something new, right? Oh well.
What works best to keep you motivated? Comment below!
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