The average Dirt Rider reader doesn't have the time to follow the intense exercise program of Aldon Baker, trainer to champions Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart. But Aldon shared a few basic health tips that can benefit every rider and almost anyone. These are things you can easily incorporate (or cut from) your daily routine to greatly improve your time on the bike.
Don't forget to thank him from the podium, or at least from the break room at work.
Get To Your Proper Weight
"If you can get your weight right, your body doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood and get oxygen to the muscles, and your body's going to work better."
Cut Junk Food
"[Most] junk food is high in calories, high in saturated fat and high in refined carbohydrates, which do your body no good."
Cut Soft Drinks
"These are bad because of the high amounts of sugar. Sugar pushes up your insulin level, and your body doesn't metabolize well when your insulin level's out of its zone."
Limit Coffee
"Now you get flavored coffees, they add creamers, they add all these other things... it makes it worse. I think coffee on its own, and from all the studies I've read, is actually not that bad for you. Unless it's overdone."
Cut Alcohol
"It really affects your insulin level, plus your brain maintenance and everything else. Alcohol is in no way good."
Cut Fried Food
"It links back to saturated fat, high in calories, doesn't do anything for you."
Be Selective With Fast Food
"I try to avoid fast food as much as possible, but any place that has a grilled chicken sandwich [then order that]. Stay away from meat and going fried. Go grilled, minus the cheese, keep the tomato, and light with the dressing on it. If it comes with mayonnaise, change that out for mustard."
Add Fruits And Vegetables
"The greener, the deeper the colors-broccoli, your peppers, stuff like that-have a high concentration of good value in them."
Get Plenty Of Sleep
"Your body needs that time to rejuvenate, to use the nutrients you've given it, and to reset itself. And if you're having upset sleep, you're adding more stress to your body, and when that happens your body doesn't want to metabolize, doesn't want to operate well."
Stretch In The Morning
"I think it's more key in the morning than at any other time. If you look at animals, the first thing they do when they get up is stretch. Humans, we've neglected that. Stretching is very, very, very important."
Get At Least Some Daily Exercise
"There should be something that you can do every day. If there's a half hour, at least a brisk walk, a run, something that's getting that heart rate pumping around. If someone has a weight problem, they can obviously take it a little easier."