17 Oct The Right Equipment!
Just wanted to share with you the importance of having the right “Gear”.
Regular readers of this blog will know that last weekend, Team Openhealth entered into the Palace to Palace bike ride. Cycling is one of those wonderful/expensive (delete as appropriate) hobbies, that you can take to the ultimate. Deciding how to spend your money wisely in ways that will improve your performance and more importantly reduce your chance of injury, is not easy. For longer rides, I was encouraged to try cycling shoes and cleats. I’m not going to deny they do get some getting used to, I’m also not going to deny there has been a fall or two. But, in terms of effectiveness in the saddle and less post-ride pain, they are marvellous. In simple terms, the cleats enable you to pull the pedals up as well as pushing them down. In biomechanical terms that means you are not relying solely on the front thigh muscles (the quads), you are actively involving those muscles at the back of your thigh (the hamstrings). Two muscle groups must be better than one! I can report that on the morning after our 45 mile bike ride, I sprung out of bed, pain free!
Ideally, I want the message of this blog to go out to all fitness enthusiasts. Whether your sport is running, playing tennis, or even going to the gym, there will be websites and niche magazines offering hundreds of products and ideas to help with your sport. Keep abreast of the products available and try not to be too cynical. Some of them will be absloute life-savers!
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