Your bike may just be the Fountain of Youth.Professional cyclists who raced in the Tour de France live 6.3 years longer than the average guy, says a new French study.
Cyclists who participated in the Tour had a 44 percent lower chance of dying from cancer and a 33 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than French men who didn’t race professionally.
Why? Even after retirement, few of the racers smoked and most continued to exercise by riding or participating in another sport, the researchers report.
Granted, these cyclists were super-fit, professional athletes. But even if you can’t bike for your life, you can still learn a few things from the pros:
Plan Ahead
You won’t be railing turns at the office, but a good cyclist imagines himself riding the course, thinking through how he’ll take each tricky section of road, says Chris Mayhew, a coach with JBV Coaching who has worked with some of the top American racers in cyclocross. Set goals for your projects at work and imagine yourself completing them to tap into another level of motivation.
You won’t be railing turns at the office, but a good cyclist imagines himself riding the course, thinking through how he’ll take each tricky section of road, says Chris Mayhew, a coach with JBV Coaching who has worked with some of the top American racers in cyclocross. Set goals for your projects at work and imagine yourself completing them to tap into another level of motivation.
Recovery Comes First
When you spend 5 hours a day racing like a pro cyclist, you need to make time to take care of yourself. An early morning yoga session, a few minutes with a foam roller, or using a tennis ball to work out tight spots before the real work begins can mean the difference between feeling defeated and energized the next day, Mayhew says.
When you spend 5 hours a day racing like a pro cyclist, you need to make time to take care of yourself. An early morning yoga session, a few minutes with a foam roller, or using a tennis ball to work out tight spots before the real work begins can mean the difference between feeling defeated and energized the next day, Mayhew says.
Focus on Success, Not Failure
To avoid a crash on the bike, you look at where you want to go—not where the danger is. And the same applies to your mind, Mayhew says. Cyclists who aren’t successful often lock in on what could go wrong or what failure will feel like instead of zeroing in on success.
To avoid a crash on the bike, you look at where you want to go—not where the danger is. And the same applies to your mind, Mayhew says. Cyclists who aren’t successful often lock in on what could go wrong or what failure will feel like instead of zeroing in on success.
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