Turn your commute into a workout on wheels

Calorie control: Introducing interval training techniques on your regular bike rides is a great way to lose weight

10 April 2012

Should you already cycle to work and back every day, you probably feel fairly virtuous.

But although you are keeping active, is your daily routine keeping you as fit as it could?

Freewheeling at every downhill opportunity and making sluggish turns of the pedals on the flats probably won't increase your heart rate sufficiently to really boost fitness levels

So what can you do to turn your commute into a complete workout, burn more calories and finally feel truly guilt-free about cancelling your gym membership?

"Anyone cycling 30 minutes each way, five days a week is already clocking up plenty of activity hours," says triathlon coach Jimmy George "But, to get the most out of your cycling, try interval training twice a week as you ride to and from work."

Interval training is a system of exercise used by athletes in which you push yourself up to maximum effort for a limited period, such as one minute, and then rest briefly. You then repeat this sequence several times.

"To train, you should buy a heart-rate monitor, find your heart-rate threshold and alternate between short bursts at just below, or above your threshold and recovery periods."

According to George, interval training burns calories even after your workout is over. "Your calorie burn during the workout may only be increased by about 20 per cent," he says.

"Instead, your body continues to burn calories for up to two hours after your workout, depending on the duration and intensity of the session."

Studies show that, after anaerobic exercise, your metabolic rate — the amount of energy used while resting — is increased as the body works hard to reregulate itself by drawing in extra oxygen. So, you keep burning calories.

George says: "Interval training on your bike will help develop fitness, aid weight loss and tone up your leg muscles, but do take care not to overtrain.

"Two sessions of interval training per week will suffice and perhaps add one longer session where you add a bit of distance to your route home. Keep all other rides at a moderate to low intensity."

High-intensity exercise, however, is not for everyone. It is as demanding as it sounds, and cycling novices should take care. If you balk at the thought of training like an athlete, there are other ways to add calorie burn to your commute.

"Start by having a good look at the route you usually take," says Malcolm Armstrong, a spinning instructor for Virgin Active.

"See if you can reroute to incorporate more hills into your journey, and find a way to add an extra 10 minutes to your homeward journey."

Once you have planned your new route, Armstrong recommends three simple alterations to your ride, to maximise calorie burn: carrying some extra weight by adding bottles of water to your kitbag before you set off, cycling in a higher gear, and remaining seated when you tackle the hills.

"Changing up a gear will probably mean you get to work a bit faster than usual," says Armstrong, "so adding some hills and distance to your journey is key. But, if do you manage to incorporate all of this into your commute, you are likely to more than double the number of calories you would usually burn."

FIND YOUR HEART-RATE THRESHOLD: Buy a good heart-rate monitor. A midrange model with a countdown timer to time your repeated intervals is ideal. Try the CardioSport GO 20 (£48.99 from www.heartratemonitor.co.uk), which is compatible with most mainstream cardiovascular gym equipment. After a good warm-up, time-trial for 30 minutes.

Begin cycling and keep going at a steady rate without stopping or slowing. It is easier to do this indoors on a static bike.

Record your average heart rate for the last 20 minutes. This will be your threshold heart rate. Finish with a long cool down..

INTERVAL TRAINING THE TRIATHLON CYCLE: Advance your normal commute on two days each week (ideally Tuesday and Thursday) by following an interval training regime.

TUESDAY: Begin with a 10- to 15-minute warm-up.

After your warm-up begin a series of one-minute intervals. Each minute should increase in effort until, in the last 10 seconds, you reach maximum effort.

Follow this with a recovery minute of low gears and minimum effort, giving your heart rate time to come down.

Repeat this five times on the first session and add a minute each week until you are up to 10 repetitions.

As you begin your high-intensity minute, shift up a few gears and get out of the saddle until you are up to a good speed then sit down and work hard.

Cycle the remainder of your commute at a steady pace to cool down.

THURSDAY: Begin with a 10-to 15-minute warm-up.

Then train in intervals of five high-intensity minutes, this time building up to five beats under your threshold (80-85 per cent of your max .

heart rate) followed by a 90-second to two-minute recovery.

Again, as you begin your period of higher intensity, rise out of the saddle and increase gear.

Repeat this sequence three times to begin with and increase by one interval per week up to a maximum of five times.

Cycle the remainder of your commute at a steady pace to cool down.

Check with your GP before embarking on any level of high-intensity exercise. Source: Jimmy George, triathlon coach, VO2 Maximum.

INCREASE YOUR CALORIE BURN - THE SPINNING INSTRUCTOR'S WORKOUT: On an average commute a 65kg person cycling for 30 minutes at 14mph will burn around 300 calories.

Speed up to 20mph by increasing your gear — add 250 calories. Carry extra weight in a bag (10 per cent of your body weight) — add 50-60 calories.

Reroute to increase hill climbs and distance (travel for an extra 10 minutes) — add up to 200 calories.

Total calorie burn: 810 calories

Source: Malcolm Armstrong, Spinning Instructor, Virgin Active.

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