No matter how well you endeavor to look after your physical and mental health, there will always be factors outside your control that can foil your efforts. Regardless of if it’s because of a significant life or work event, the little habits you maintain for enjoyment can soon start to suffer, whether it’s a well-balanced diet, sleep schedule, exercise routine, or hobby.
Once these habits start slipping, it can be challenging for us to pick them back up despite desperately wanting to return to our old routine. It can be especially tricky if it’s a sporting habit like cycling, as after a hiatus (no matter how brief it might be!), we want to return to the level we were before the habit slipped.
Getting back and sticking to your cycling habit takes time, so we’ve outlined several ways to stick to it in the New Year to help you get started. From ensuring that you are adequately protected by e-bike insurance and setting reasonable goals, keep reading to find out how to get back into the saddle and stay in it!
Start Small
Cyclists often berate themselves for ‘not cycling enough’. So, what if you occasionally drive to the grocery store instead of cycling? Or you had a rest day on Sunday? Just because you have a bike doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to use it for everything or every day because if you do that, you’re more likely to start resenting the habit instead of enjoying it.
Ultimately habit-building works better when you start small instead of the ‘go big or go home’ attitude. For instance, you could begin by cycling to your daily exercise class. Over time, putting on your cycling gear will become like second nature to you and make the habit much easier to develop. However, if you’re going to be riding more regularly, you’ll have to ensure your safety.
Fortunately, you can purchase a wide range of safety accessories for yourself and your e-bike, from bike locks, GPS trackers, and, most importantly, e-bike insurance! E-bike insurance is vital when trying to stick to your cycling habit to protect you and your equipment against unforeseen circumstances. Learn more by visiting providers’ websites like Velosurance or contacting them directly.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Whether you’re trying to stick to a healthier diet, go to the gym more, or get a more reasonable amount of sleep, sticking to new habits is challenging. No matter how strict you are, there will always come a time when you slip up – and that’s perfectly fine! Failure is inevitable when you’re trying something different, but it’s how you learn from your failures that is essential.
For instance, suppose you’re running late for your exercise class one day, and you won’t have the time to cycle there like you usually do. Instead of beating yourself up about having to drive, put measures in place so it won’t happen again, like leaving your previous destination earlier, and setting yourself a reminder. If you’re too hard on yourself, you’ll soon grow to dislike the habit your trying to create, which will only make sticking to it worse.
Understand That Rest Is Good
It can be easy to look at cycling legends like Primož Roglic, Thibaut Pinot, and Alejandro Valverde and assume that they eat, sleep, and breathe cycling. However, even professionals have rest days, and you should too! If you maintain too punishing of a ride, schedule your just setting yourself up for failure or, even worse, an injury further down the line.
As well as scheduling adequate rest periods, it’s also essential to look after yourself before and after each ride using recovery remedies to prevent a potential injury and give your muscles a well-deserved rest. Fortunately, there are many ways to do so; we list some of the most popular below:
- Elevating your legs after a long ride.
- Taking time to cool down.
- Fueling your body with proper nutrition.
- Try active recovery methods.
- Use compression clothing.
- Hydrate yourself regularly and often with water and cycling-specific recovery drinks.
- Use self-massage tools like a roller or gun.
- Ensure that you get a good night’s sleep each day.
- Allow your mind to relax as well as your body, and much more!
Set Reasonable Goals
Suppose you’ve never been a part of the cycling community before, yet you’re trying to get into the habit of cycling every day. In that case, there is no point in setting unattainable goals that even seasoned cyclists would struggle to achieve. Instead, set yourself goals suited to your riding level, and as they get easier to achieve progressively, make them more challenging.
Whether you set a goal based on the number of rides you want to go on per week or the average speed that it takes you to complete a specific trail, setting a reasonable goal with ensure that you’re working towards something attainable and that you don’t get hurt in the process. If you’re unsure what goals to set yourself, look up some of the best cycling goals for beginner cyclists on the internet, and get advice or suggestions from others.