The competitive season for triathletes and cyclists ends for most in September or October. This is followed by a short month of rest for many, before preparations for the new racing season begin.

With the last months of the year come winter and cold outdoor temperatures with (too) short days that we still want to make the most of. So the question arises: how can we maintain or perhaps even improve our summer shape? There are many possibilities and I will present some of them to you in today's blog.

A trainer? Spinning? Or just go out in a cold?

The eternal dilemma is whether to sign up for a spinning workout or buy a trainer now linked to online platforms where we choose the length, incline and difficulty of the workout and put it in our living room at home... Or maybe you even put on cycling clothes and hit the road. Wondering what to do yourself? If the weather is nice, sunny and a few degrees above zero, I would definitely put on winter cycling clothes and get on my bike. Nice weekends are ideal for a longer workout on the bike between 11am and 2pm, when it's warmest. In good company and with warm cycling clothes, it's an ideal escape.

However, since the weekend is only 2 days long and the week mentioned above is the time we normally work, I suggest you consider a trainer. However, only if the motivation is high enough. With a ride on a simulator and with the help of the Zwift or Rouvy platform, you can brighten up your evenings by driving the famous passes in France and Italy right in your living room. However, if you do not have enough self-discipline and are aware that your trainer will be rather lonely, I recommend organised spinning workouts, where you are sure to meet a few other like-minded people. Good company with real music and pedalling - fun is guaranteed.

However, since cycling in the winter months alone is not enough to improve your shape in most cases, the time is ideal to choose a sport that you do not do in the summer when it is time to cycle:

HIKING

Walking in the mountains is an ideal workout, also used by professionals, as it allows you to increase your fitness to ride without using a bike. When walking uphill and downhill, the muscles work in much the same way as when cycling. If we turn walking in the mountains into a 5-6 hour hike through the surrounding hills, it gives an excellent workout that can be completed by Sunday lunchtime. On a 3-hour hike with jump steps, we can burn between 1500-1800 kcal, which is roughly equivalent to the calories burned in a three-hour workout on a bike. Apart from improving our fitness, such a long workout and a walk up the hill is ideal to melt off some extra pounds we gained in December.

Walking in the mountains in the winter months must be planned differently than in the summer, as it can be very dangerous. Therefore, we must always study the conditions in the mountains, the openness of the mountain huts, the weather and the danger of landslides before setting out. For more information, visit the website of the Slovenian Mountain Rescue Association.

And what are the advantages of walking up the hill in the winter months:

+ Possible to run for a longer period of time

+ Improve general fitness condition

+ An excellent replacement for cycling training

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Surely you have seen Tratnik and Roglič on skis. Not alpine, but cross-country skiing. Cross-country skiing is definitely another alternative that helps you cycle and gain general physical fitness in winter. Just like running uphill, you strengthen your whole body here. Which technique you use, classic or skating, does not matter, all that matters is that you do a sufficiently long workout at the right intensity, just as you would on a bike on the road. If you are a beginner in this sport, I recommend that you treat yourself to an hour of private lessons, where they will explain the basics of cross-country skiing and show you how to do your training most effectively. And what are the benefits of cross-country skiing in the winter months:

+ Less strain on joints than normal running

+ Increased mobility

CYCLOCROS BIKE OR MTB

Because road bikes are fast or. faster, most devote themselves to mountain biking or gravel cycling in the winter months. Only these take us from dirt roads to muddier macadam roads. This is because riding on gravel roads is usually 30% slower than on paved roads. That makes for fewer kilometres, but those kilometres are of better quality. And what are the advantages of riding a cyclocross or MTB bike in the winter months?

+ Slower average speed

+ Increases cyclist skills

+ Possibility to drive on most terrains

STRENGTH EXERCISES

If the weather throws a spanner in the works, if we have enough exercise for 1 hour, and in addition to exercising TV without severe breathlessness, I suggest doing general body strengthening exercises. By this, of course, I do not mean that you should swap your favourite sport for bodybuilding, but the fact that to cycle better and faster you also need a strong whole body. Surely your hands hurt after a long ride over cubes or holes, and there is definitely a lot of room for improvement here. More on strength training follows in the next blog, which will be out in 14 days. And what are the benefits of cycling strength exercises in the winter months:

+ Increases core stability

+ Better endurance in other sports

+ The basis for any sport

Leon Obreza