2 Things You Need to do to Get Fit

1. Pick a sport or physical activity that you enjoy.

2. Dedicate your free time doing it.

Okay, so it’s not that easy, but that’s how I got to where I am now.

It did take plenty of time to find my passion for cycling. It took a good 25ish years, to be precise.

But now that cycling is a passion and excelling in it is a constant goal, I have made changes in my life to help me reach my goal:

1. I spend my weekends (when there isn’t snow on the paths) riding my bike, like, entire days. Spending that much time on the bike (6+ hours) is bound to get your ass in shape.
2. When I spend that much time on the bike, I don’t want to feel like I spent that much time on the saddle. So I strength train and vary my workouts to keep me in tip-top shape. I want strong legs, a sturdy core, and a reliable upper body to bike for 8 hours up a mountain and the only way to get that is to train during the week.
3. Any squish on my body is going to make it harder for me to climb the mountain pass, the canyon, or steep ass hill. The less excess fat on my body I have, the easier I’ll be able to cycle.
4. I eat much better now. Eating like shit or drinking tons of alcohol before cycling will NEVER work out in my favor. I’ll be slagging behind, getting dropped, lacking energy, and I’m sure I’ll have a headache. I may even have to rush to the bushes on the side of the road to take care of something exiting me. I realized cycling encourages me to eat whole, real foods because that’s what makes me a better cyclist.
5. I make sure I get plenty of sleep in addition to strengthening my body and stomach. If I stay up late before a big ride, again, I’m dragging ass.

It’s hard to encourage yourself when the only goal is to “look good.” You’ll end up resenting exercise and health foods because you’re only doing because that’s what you think you’re supposed to do.

You’ll be more successful and stick with something if you pick a physical (emphasis on “physical” because you’re not going to get in shape knitting, unless you do it while on a treadmill) activity, do it often, and make a conscious effort to improve each day.