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Crosstraining

AZtortoise

Chimp
Nov 30, 2004
4
0
Phoenix AZ area
i am curious to know if other women crosstrain, and if so, what do you do?

personally i do weight lifting, mostly upper body exercises, plus core exercises. i had some back and shoulder pain after riding before i started lifting weights, now i feel great after rides. i also noticed my endurance has increased.

since i ride year round i lift year round, usually on alternate days. i tried adding Hatha yoga but it was too difficult to sustain(i am fast approaching 51 yrs old)and it was either drop the yoga or the weight lifting, i opted to continue lifting weights.

Rita
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
I do weights in my off season, and early season to build muscle up and help with bike control. Curious - why don't you do any leg weights? Weights can help with bone density since cycling doesn't really.

I know you live in AZ so there isn't much snow, but I xc ski, snowboard, and snowshoe as well.

I am ignorant about yoga, is Hatha really hard? Is there another form that you could try?
 

laura

DH_Laura
Jul 16, 2002
6,259
15
Glitter Gulch
i run 4-5 days a week, lift weights do core and lower body 3 times a week and , do yoga and pilates twice a week. however, i am rarely on my bike anymore. :( i generally go through phases of what i enjoy doing and right now i am really enjoying my running.

i'm also curious about hatha yoga. i have found that yoga is a fantastic compliment to my running and weight lifting. have you tried lighter versions of yoga, just stretching and light strength building?
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
I ride (either outside or on the trainer) as much as I can (which is far less these days than I should). I also do weights (upper body and legs) and pilates for balance and stability...I think it's a little easier than Yoga, but I haven't tried Yoga either. I also am hoping ot get back into cross country skiing this winter or snowshoeing. Other than that, I just snowmobile.
 

AZtortoise

Chimp
Nov 30, 2004
4
0
Phoenix AZ area
Hatha yoga, from what i get from a book with a 28 day plan, is a combination of stretches and poses, with light meditation. i did the 28 day plan some years ago and the book gave plans for well beyond that. actually, i used the Hatha yoga for rehab before i really knew what rehab was. got me into great physical condition after a motorcycle wreck(and doctors failed).

my main problem with adding more to my biking and weight lifting is i need recovery time. i exercise at least 6 days a week as is, and adding the yoga just wore me out.

i have noticed in the last decade that i am slowing down and need more recovery than previously. for instance, if i do a long mtb ride that is quite strenuous i need a full 2 days to recover, sometimes even skipping a weight lifting session.

getting older really bites.

Rita
 

xtine

Chimp
Dec 2, 2004
2
0
manchvegas
don't forget that weights definately help with bone density. weight bearing exercise is one of the best things you can do to keep your bones healthy and promote internal bone growth. there's over 8 million american women with osteoporosis and nearly one-half of women over 50 suffer from bone fractures due to osteoporosis. and these are stats from 2003. <plug for osteoporosis awareness>
get dirty-
x.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
xtine said:
don't forget that weights definately help with bone density. weight bearing exercise is one of the best things you can do to keep your bones healthy and promote internal bone growth. there's over 8 million american women with osteoporosis and nearly one-half of women over 50 suffer from bone fractures due to osteoporosis. and these are stats from 2003. <plug for osteoporosis awareness>
get dirty-
x.
Yep, that was my point. I only recently started thinking about my future in those terms when other female relatives had bone density tests done and the results were less than stellar
 

AZtortoise

Chimp
Nov 30, 2004
4
0
Phoenix AZ area
i just had my first bone scan last month and it showed mild bone loss in my left hip, my spine was ok, apparently.

i have been lifting weights for about 23 years, off and on(mostly on), and i have taken calcium/magnesium supplements for all that time(also a dairy freak all my life). also, other activities included walking and hiking, racquetball, minimal running(my knees could not handle it), and the hatha yoga.

so, why the mild bone loss in the hip? it seems to me that i did pretty well with the weight bearing exercise and supplements, i hate to think of what might have been if i had not done any of it.

FWIW, on another board a poster, who happens to be a doctor, said that mountain biking is weight bearing, unlike road biking, which is not.

Rita