Exercise... or not? (Part 2)

In my last post, I asserted that a daily commute can indeed be good exercise, to the point of preparing a person for a much harder endeavour.

BUT -- if you perform the same exercise over and over again, your body will become accustomed to the workout and it will be less effective. If you don't care about that and just want to maintain fitness, this is probably not a big deal. Keep riding as always; at least you are doing something, right? 

For me, challenge in the form of changing up my routine is important. It makes the daily commute more interesting, but it also allows me to use my commute as training time. My ride on the Icefields Parkway was the start of an addiction to road cycling. On weekends I love to ride longer and harder routes -- 60-100 km per day, with plenty of climbing -- and I take advantage of my commute to keep in shape for this. 

Here some things you can do to make a daily commute more of a workout. (In warm weather, you will work up a sweat, so always bring a change of clothing and the stuff needed to make yourself presentable at work!) 

1. Change your route. Whereas I used to ride the same route everyday, following a relatively flat course on city streets, I now usually ride through the River Valley. This extends my commute to about 10 km each way. There are no lights or stop signs, so I can ride at a steady speed. Sometimes I take a different route. We have a rental house on the south side of the city, near Southgate, so when I have business there, I park in that area and ride on the 106 Street bike route and across the High Level Bridge. Occasionally I park farther from my destination. Second Son lives about 13 km from downtown, so when the weather is especially pleasant, I like to park near his home and enjoy a longer ride.  When it comes to cycling, variety means changes in terrain which lead to changes in riding style and effort. 

   

   View from High Level Bridge Streetcar

2. Add hills. As I descend into the valley, I know that what goes down must come up. Yes, my daily commute involves hills. I have a choice of two. In the bright light of early fall, late spring and summer, I generally choose the steeper hill, but once it is dark in the mornings, I opt for the long gradual climb, which has a shared pathway for cyclists and pedestrians. I feel safer riding here than sharing the narrow road with cars and buses. Both climbs are decently hard, and I up the ante by varying my approach. Sometimes I ride in a low gear, spinning as fast as I can. Other times I ride in a high gear for as long as I can, downshifting only as it becomes absolutely necessary. On days when I start my ride half-asleep and feeling anything but energetic, I assure myself that it's okay if I take it easy on the upcoming hill, but somehow by the time I get there, I am always ready to give it my best. The climb out of the valley at the end of the workday is long and steady, culminating in a short steep section. Often there is a headwind, which adds to the challenge. Sometimes I'm tired after a long day teaching (I stand all day), but the satisfaction I feel when I reach the top of the hill is energizing.
   

   

   the river valley, early October

3. Chase down other commuters. That's right; I am the skinny middle-aged woman who tries to pass all the guys on the trail. If I see a rider ahead of me, I pedal as fast as I can, trying to overtake. My favourite overtaking occurs after I've been passed on a downhill stretch. I am a braker: I don't go fast downhill. As a result, I am frequently passed by the daring young men on their flying trapezes bicycles. On the flat section, however, look out. The middle-aged woman comes into her own and cranks those pedals until she overtakes said young men. And when I overtake, I make sure it's for good, which means I have to work extra hard to maintain the lead. Even if I don't succeed in overtaking, a good workout is guaranteed.
4. Try to maintain a high cadence and a good speed. I can feel it when I'm slacking off. Sometimes I don't care, but usually if I notice that I'm taking it easy, I push myself a little harder.
5. Stand up from time to time. As suggested in this article, sometimes I remain seated as I climb the big hill; other times I try to stay out of the saddle the entire time. Sometimes I do a little of each.

The final word? To maximize the workout potential of a daily commute, add variety. Take a look at the route and see what can be done to make the most of the time spent riding. Your body will thank you for it!