Benefits of Running and Cycling

7 Reasons to Sign Up for a Spring Race

Setting your sights on a spring foot or bike race readies you for success throughout the year—and training for one can whip you into shape STAT
By Hollis Templeton fitbie
 

Squeeze in More Strength Training

Beach days will be here before you know it, and signing up for an endurance event can give you a head start on head-to-toe toning. How? While running and cycling alone strengthen large lower-body muscle groups such as the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, race training is also the perfect excuse to hit the weights, as building endurance requires more than long running or cycling workouts.

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Strength training increases running economy—how effectively a runner uses oxygen at a certain pace—by 3 to 8%, according to a research review published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. Similarly, when Danish researchers placed cyclists in either a 16-week endurance program or one that included both endurance and strength training, only those who lifted weights and performed distance workouts showed endurance improvements 45 minutes into exercise.

“Yoga, Pilates, or boot camp classes are also good winter additions for improving muscular strength and flexibility,” says Paul, explaining that these forms of conditioning are essential for preventing cycling and running injuries.

More: Got 30 days? Take on this boot camp challenge!

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