- I know cyclist will always be cyclist,
but sometimes we don't even bring our bike,
we don't have the time, or it's not the perfect weather.
So running is the best exercise for a cyclist undergo.
Today, because I'm not an expert,
I brought our own Heather from GTN.
She's going to help us out with some tips and exercise
to get better at this.
- Cool, thank you Maya.
Yes, I mean, running is great
and there are so many benefits for cyclists as well.
To start with, you can do it pretty much anywhere,
it doesn't matter whether it's raining or even snowing,
if you don't have much time going for a run,
even as little as 20 minutes will still have a benefit
and it's going to help with your bone density.
And all you need is a pair of running shoes,
some shorts and a T shirt.
So I'm going to be bringing you some tips and some exercises
to help you enjoy running and stay injury free.
And guess what?
You're even allowed to wear socks.
- And I did it, no helmet, no cycling shoes and no bike.
Let's go.
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Building up slowly is really important
because as a cyclist, we tend to overdo it.
We just want to run fast and for too long,
and we just get injured.
- It's really common for cyclists,
you're going to have that fitness
and you've probably got really good endurance,
you just want to go out and run.
But if you're not careful, this can lead to injuries,
like Maya says,
because your body is not going to be ready
for that stress that you get from the impacts of running.
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- Okay, I've got some points to get us started.
Point one, start really, really, really slowly,
build gradually.
- It's a really good idea
to have a realistic goal and target
as that's going to help keep you motivated
as you hit those targets.
And it is easy to go out a little bit too soon
if you enjoy your first run and get carried away,
but you're going to have that cardiovascular fitness,
but you're less likely to have the conditioning.
So if you are new to running,
stick to doing just 20 minutes to start with.
And it obviously depends
if you've done any running in the past or not
as to how many breaks you're going to have,
but a good starting point would be run for 30 minutes,
have a minute of walking and do that five times three.
- It's better to do less
and to finish one thing to run more,
not the other way around.
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Point two, find a dirt path to run.
If you can avoid the pavement, better.
- It's a great point because it's going to reduce that impact
and your legs aren't ready for.
So if you can find some grass, some sand or even gravel,
it's all going to be kinder on your legs
than running on asphalt.
- Running in uneven terrain even makes you work harder,
because you're working your stabilizing muscles
and sometimes even your core.
- Exactly, but don't go too off road too soon,
because if your legs aren't quite ready for it,
you could end up twisting an ankle or something.
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- Point three, move the joints.
- Dynamic warm up is really important
to help get your joints moving in a different direction,
'cause cycling is a very unique lateral movement
and you'll find that your joint's basically moving
in the same plane of motion all the time.
- For this leg swings are perfect.
What you have to do is find something to grab
or just someone to hold you for balance,
and then when one leg start swinging front to back,
and then change legs.
And the other one is start with the right leg,
crossing from one side to the other,
and then switch legs and you're done.
- Another exercise, it's really great
for opening up the front of your hip, are walking lunges,
and this is an area that gets really tight as cyclists.
And it's also going to actually challenge
a little bit of your coordination and your core
as you want to make sure it's a really controlled movement,
and you're also keeping your body nice and upright.
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- Point four, strengthening your feet.
- It's really easy to overlook your feet
and the small muscles that are surrounding the area
'cause when it comes to cycling,
it doesn't actually do too much work.
But when it comes to running your feet
and all the muscles in your lower leg
are going to be working overtime.
- Talking about it, it's important to do some exercises
to strengthen your feet,
just walking barefoot on the sand or in the grass.
Or if you wanted to take it a step further,
you can use a physio band.
- If you want to know more on that
we've actually done a video over on GTN
on strength and conditioning for the lower legs
so go check that out.
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- Point five, choose your running shoes wisely.
- This one leads on nicely from foot strength.
Choosing the right running shoe can make such a difference
to your running experience.
You want to make sure you get a trainer
that's got the right amount of support and cushioning
to suit you.
- Okay, Heather, I think we've covered all the basic tips
but do you have any extra for us?
- I think it's just a good idea to bear in mind
that cycling is so different from running,
so don't be disheartened when you set out
because after all,
you're suddenly going to be weight bearing
and it's a lot for your body to adapt to,
so have that realistic goal
and start with a run more strategy,
because you can always build up from that.
- You've talked about all the difference
there is between running and cycling,
but is there something that's the same?
- There actually is,
when you're ready to progress,
you can actually start to implement
some of the training that you do on the bike
over to the run.
So for example, you might break your cycling week up
with a longer ride, a tempo session and some speed work.
Well, there's no reason you can't just carry that over
to your running workouts too.
- Some people prefer cycling,
because you can go way quicker and farther,
and you can carry your own food and your water.
What will you say to those cyclist?
- Yes, admit you can go further when you're cycling,
but there's loads of places that you can go running
that you can't get on a bike.
So you get to find out new routes,
Commute's actually a great way for finding new places.
And as for the snacks,
you're not going to be going for as long,
so you shouldn't really need to have any snacks with you.
But do make sure on that note
that you eat long enough in advance
because jiggling up and down
is going to be a little bit different than being on the bike,
so you can find you end up
with a little uncomfortable stomach.
So just make sure you have your meal long enough before.
- Running with food on your stomach is never a good idea.
Okay, it all sounds great,
but how often should I run?
- Well, recovery is key when you're starting any new sport
and now running especially
you really need to respect running
because you've got that impact that you're coming,
where it's weight bearing.
And when you're cycling, yes,
you can get on the bike day after day
and your bottom might be a little bit sore,
but you're not really going to be affecting your joints
or your bones.
So it's really important to build it up gradually,
but to make sure that you get at least a day of rest
in between each one,
and then hopefully you'll be able to continue running
for much longer
and actually see a bigger improvement overall.
- Great points there, Heather, thank you very much.
I think you convinced most of us cyclists to go there
and try some running
but what do you think of those that still thinking about it?
- The main selling point for me of running
is the time efficiency.
You can get so much work out of a really short space of time
compared to cycling,
and after all you can do pretty much anywhere
and all you is a pair of running shoes.
- Next time you find yourself
with just half an hour to do exercise,
why not pop on your trainers and just give it a go?
- I completely agree.
I mean, I am slightly biased
but I think you can't beat that feeling
of coming back from a good run.
Well, hopefully you've enjoyed it
and you're motivated enough to go out for a run.
Give us a thumbs up like if you are
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- If you want to see another GCN video,
just click down here.
- And if you want to see a conditioning video over on GTN,
go and check that out down here.
- Let's go Heather, we just have a half an hour.