gerv 

I have bought into the bicycling community tenet that if you bike everywhere, you don't need any additional exercise.

And this is mostly true. I am in excellent shape (for my age... and considering where I was 10 years ago...), but I've recently been looking to do more "core" workouts to atone for my rather sad midriff. Somehow 6,000 miles a year on the bicycle does not do a whole helluva lot for your stomach line.

So recently I've decided to start doing some exercises. I've started by doing just one after every commute. This is called "The Plank" and I find it rather good for tightening up the stomach.

Do you work out in any way... other than the bike?

Ekdog

I walk quite a bit.

wolfchild

I do strength and conditioning workouts 3-4 times per week. My workouts include using a barbell, kettlebells, gymnastic rings, monkey bars, plyometrics and sprinting . I keep my workouts short and very intense... I have personal fitness goals and I follow a very unorthodox workout routines, I hate modern bodybuilding and modern gyms...Riding a bicycle and walking is nice but it's not enough for me.

squegeeboo

I play ultimate. And I jog occasionally. Otherwise no.

Isaiahc72

I bike everywhere and when I have nothing to do, I still bike.

Mobile 155

I like that response.

I walk about 3 miles a day. I joined a gym but I don't go as often as I would like. My wife hasn't been feeling well and I hate to leave her alone just to go work out. I have some light bar-bells I use to get some load bearing exercise to my arms. I ride a lot as well but like it has been mentioned there needs t be some core work in addition to the riding. I also participate in century charity rides four or five times a year.

wahoonc

Walk, garden, walk behind mower, general farm chores, play with my dog, plus daily job site workouts which can include stairs up a 270' tower, or ladders etc.

Aaron

plustax

If you want to have abs (or less of a belly) body fat percentage needs to gown. Core work outs wont make you lose fat at just your core.


I swim bike and walk. (Running makes my knees and back hurt, probably bad form)

harshbarj

Nope. But then again I don't see exercise as important. Even though I am overweight(240lbs), my doctor is overall happy with everything else. I have no problems getting around and can ride my bicycle up hills that challenge people half my weight. I put in about 65km every week commuting to and from work, and another 60-70km on the weekend shopping. I figure I get more exercise than even those that try to exercise. Though honestly it has not made a dent in my weight. But I have better access to food now, so there you go :-) .

DX-MAN

My job is physical, lots of lifting of 40# BSO's, turning wrenches, etc. It doesn't help my '6-pack', either; I tell anyone who brings up the subject that I HAVE a 6-pack...I just keep it inside this soft-sided cooler.

But overall, my muscle tone is pretty good.

B. Carfree

We didn't evolve with plentiful high-calorie, high-carbohydrate food available and many hours per day spent seated. It's thus no big surprise that exercise and avoiding long spells on one's hind quarters as well as avoiding high glycemic foods have been found to be essential at avoiding "lifestyle disease". In the interest of staying healthy, of course I exercise.

A typical week will find my wife and I walking in the local hills and about town for 50-75 miles, cycling 200-400 miles, gardening a bit (hugely variable) and doing a bit of weight lifting and yoga. It's nice to be in my fifties and weigh what I did in high school, have a 40 bpm heart rate (like high school), and still be able to dunk a basketball, although I quit playing a few years back.

Now if only I still had the same eyesight...

lasauge 

Like most everyone else, nope. I spend a lot of hours on my bikes, walk/hike occasionally, and at work I lift boxes and pull pallets - all things that keep my body in shape, but "getting exercise" isn't my primary motivation.

howeeee

nope

daihard 

I walk in the swimming pool. I used to do it every morning before work until I picked up biking 7 weeks ago. Now I spend almost all my free time riding. Ironically, my core isn't as solid as before. I need to get back into my old workout habit...

Jared.

Body weight exercises. Pull ups, push ups,sit ups in as many variations as possible. Body squats and stair climbing. Every other day.

5 days a week I also walk a little over 4km round trip for work. Walk my dog 4-5 times a week, usually a similar distance.

Really would like to start doing some yoga, as well as some martial arts, but time/money has not been permissive.

JeanSeb

I have been doing weight training at the gym for a couple of months now, and I feel great ! It helped me on the bike in a few ways. I couldn't stand on the pedals and sprint like I used to because of pain in my elbows and knees. Now the pain is gone because I've been working out muscles that don't see much work when sitting at a computer.

Even Ancient Greek philosophers knew the importance of physical training. You can't do any deep reflection if you have aches and pains everywhere, it takes your concentration away.

For people who say bicycling alleviates the need for exercise: I'd say I agree... but only on the cardiovascular side of things (ok, also quads and calves but otherwise it's not a complete workout). Don't forget to add a stretching routine ! Bicycling makes for tight hamstrings.

For core workouts, I'd say try Pilates. It's simple, very effective, don't require any equipment but a comfortable surface (either a yoga mat or even a carpet with foam underneath) to protect your spine. And a session takes about 25 minutes when you get used to it.

Machka 

When I was car-free ...

I exercised A LOT!! Not only did I commute by bicycle 13.6 km round trip 4-5 days a week almost year round, but I also ...

-- walked 10+ km/week year round
-- snowshoed and cross-country skied in the winter
-- worked out with weights regularly in the winter
-- took yoga classes in the winter
-- and cycled!! I was doing the CAM Challenge, and I was an avid Randonneur. So some of my weekends were 400 km or 600 km randonnees. A typical week from spring to autumn looked something like this:

Monday - commute (rest day)
Tuesday - commute + intervals or hill repeats
Wednesday - commute + longish evening ride
Thursday - commute + brisk medium length evening ride
Friday - commute (rest day)
Saturday - 100+ miles
Sunday - 100+ kilometres

I could eat pretty much what I wanted, and I was skinny as a rail (but quite muscular).

In recent years, I've eased up a bit on the quantity of exercise because other aspects of life kind of took over ... but perhaps I'll get back into it again soon.

Winnershcyclist

I am 54 joined a gym3years ago do all sorts of intensive cardiovascular and strength and biking of course but cant get stomach flattened I try to eat well under 1800 calories used to eat 1200 till a few weeks ago don't eat fried foods, sweets, cakes etc but still over hanging stomach do I feel fitter No! I sometimes wonder why I bother...

locolobo13 

Bike ~50 mi/wk
Walk ~10mi/wk
Stretching/Back/Core exercises ~30 min/day
Strength Exercises ~30 min 3 x /wk

While I don't enjoy stretching I have joint problems, back, knees, elbow and hands. Stretching has really helped with that. If not for the stretching I probably wouldn't be riding.

I am starting out (again) with the strength exercises and the intensity is very wimpy. It is what it is.

mtb123

I try to do some basic strength training. While cycling is "low impact" it's repetitive nature can expose you to overuse injuries. More aggressive cycling to can also encourage bad posture. For example, look at the rounded lower back and shoulders of a typical TDF cyclist. So, I try to do some simple exercises to counteract these effects. Simple pull-ups help strength the upper back and pull the shoulders back. I also try to do a bit of foam rolling. It is very easy to put together a simple circuit of body weight exercises for some basic strength training. No gym or equipment needed (but having a pull-up bar at home is nice).

enigmaT120

Yeah. I try to run once a week, ride my bike two or 3 times a week, lift weights (OK -- Soloflex) or thin trees or split firewood a couple of times a week, and take two rest days a week. Inever get all that in, but I do stuff.

gerv 

I'm in the same boat at 59.9. I'm about 15 pounds overweight -- most of it on the stomach. And it seems impossible to lose.

People say it's hard to lose weight when you are 50+ years.

But I vaguely remember reading somewhere that at age 60, it gets easier... could it be true?

rockmom

I do yoga and walk. It is not easy and/or impossible for many to get six pack abs. My husband was a college athlete and hours of exercise daily didn't do it. What little fat he carried at the time all stuck to his belly. Other guys did less and had the six pack. Such is life.

I-Like-To-Bike

I lost 34 lbs in six months while working overseas at the age of 65. I never missed a meal or cut back on anything but desserts, candy, and between meal snacks. Did no exercise routine but bicycle riding and that was much less than I had been doing commuting stateside. Working 12 hours, 7 days a week for the entire six months also helped.

bragi

I don't think it's possible to be very fit with any one exercise, even bicycling. I mean, let's face it, we've all seen our share of pot-bellied, middle aged roadies. I'm too old (52) to be able to ride every day and also run, so I no longer run, but I do manage these things:
- I go for a 7-10 mile walk every week, sometimes twice;
-I do rotator cuff and leg stretches every day, along with 30 push-ups and 30 sit-ups two or three times a day;
-I go to a rock climbing gym twice a week.

But still, bicycling is an important reason I'm still fairly fit at the age of 52. I ride 70-100 mi/week (115-160km) just going about my business, and that, all by itself, is better than a gym membership for most people.