Fall is a beautiful time to take a bike trip. Sports specific training exercises will better prepare you for your journey,  so it will be a scenic, rather than sore one.

Before you pack up your gear and hit the road, fitness outdoor editor Janet Lee says you should hit the weights.

Janet  Lee, Fitness magazine
“Preparing your muscles with weight training a key and it’s probably the one thing that people forget to do. And especially when you talk about your core of your body. Strengthening your abdominals so you can hold yourself properly on the bike and strengthening your lower back because you’re going to be hunched over on the bike. Whether you’re mountain biking or road biking. 

“And then also the normal muscles you would think of which would be your quadriceps muscles, your hamstring muscles, so they’re strong enough to carry you, when you’re out there on the road.”

Spinning classes are also a great way to prepare yourself for a bike trip.

Janet Lee
“Spinning transfers over perfectly. Because you’re in the biking position when you’re in the class, you’re working the same muscles you’re going to be working on the road. You’re practicing your breathing, you’re practicing your focus, you’re learning how to do hills, you’re learning how to do speed work, so it’s probably the ideal exercise to do before you actually get out on the road on your bike.”

But when it comes to increasing your endurance and cardiovascular fitness you’ll need for your bike trip, any type of aerobic activity will work.

Janet Lee
“It might be running, it might be walking fast, you could get on the elliptical trainer, you could do stair climbing, anything that’s going to get your heart rate up and prepare you to be out there on the road will be fine.”

Make sure your bike is tuned up, and that you bring along a repair kit and plenty of water. For Fitness Magazine, I’m Bonnie Kaye.