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If you’ve been in poor health but now have the medical go-ahead to exercise, you can get fitter easily when over 50 cycling in 3 months when you follow this plan. The aim isn’t to push you too hard or too fast but to get you there in the end – rather like riding slowly.
Over time you should see improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and overall endurance. Gradually you’ll be able to cycle longer distances, climb steady hills, and feel more energized.
But remember to always listen to your body, take those rest days when necessary. This is especially true during the first month as your body gets used to your new habits you want to form for a better, fitter, more enjoyable life.
What follows is my idealised plan for when I cycled from Tarifa to Bilbao in Spain, after not really having cycled in recent years.
Basics Before You Begin
I learned these basic from a spin cycle class at my local gym. The instructor always took us through these, and they are the golden rules to avoid injury.
- Warm-up: It’s easy to presume we don’t need to do this. But always warm up. Stretching ideally or at least start with an easy ride for 5-10 minute in a low gear.
- Cool Down: The temptation is to just jump off the bike in need of a rest. But like at the beginning, end the ride easily for the last 5-10 minute slowly to gradually bring your heart rate down. Again, stretching exercises at the end would be ideal.
- Hydration: Drink plenty of water during, before and after your ride. Dehydration will …
There’s also three other things to bare in mind when first starting out and, sometimes, we again want to believe we’re fit enough to not necessarily follow. But we want to get fitter easily when over 50 cycling in 3 months, not pick up injuries. So:
- Rest: Take extra rest days if your body demands it, especially in the first few weeks. We need to give our muscles the time they need to recover and not force our time on them.
- Rest Days: These need to be incorporated into your schedule, again to give muscles time to rest, but also to avoid overtraining.
- Bike Fit: Your bike needs to fit your body properly to prevent injury. This will also ensure your rides are more comfortable.
One final note if you haven’t ridden a bike for a while, choose somewhere that you feel safe riding. Don’t launch yourself on the main highway, hoping to find your cycle pedals quickly.
Month 1: Getting Started
In the first month I would focus on habit building, that is cycling regularly, preferably on the same days each week. This month is about starting to build endurance while avoiding overexertion. So start slowly, don’t put undue pressure on yourself.
For Weeks 1-2 let’s focus on posture, by that I mean being in a cycle position that’s comfortable for you. I have adjusted my bike’s handlebars so they work for me, which isn’t a style that works for everyone. But if we’re not comfortable riding, how can we form the habit so we enjoy it? So for Weeks 1-2:
- Cycling Frequency: Start with 2 or 3 days per week
- Duration: 20 minutes rides are enough, however you might like to do 30 if it feels easy, but don’t feel you must do this in the first 2 weeks. Better to spend 4 weeks getting to this level and accept it may take slightly longer to finish the program
- Intensity: The pace should be slow to moderate, by that I mean you should be able to hold a conversation without gasping desperately for air. If this isn’t the case, slow down so you can speak easily.
For Weeks 3-4 the focus is on gradually build endurance, while maintaining a steady pace. Again I would focus on posture, because being comfortable and enjoying your rides is the key to maintaining the habit.
Intensity: Keep the pace moderate pace, with maybe the slight increase in effort here and there if you’re feeling good.
Cycling Frequency: Try to get to 3 days per week or increase to 4 if you’re very enthusiastic
Duration: 20-30 minutes rides, but don’t ardently stick to this if you’ve increased the number of times and you ride a week and your body doesn’t feel ready. Nothing will be lost if the program takes slightly longer to finish. It may be going too quick for your body to increase the number of rides per week and the length of rides both at the same time. Slow and steady wins the race (if it were a race!).
Intensity: Keep the pace moderate pace, with maybe the slight increase in effort here and there if you’re feeling good.
Month 2: Being Consistent
In the second month I would start varying the route so that you don’t get bored always doing the exact same ride. I’d also think about increasing the intensity to improve stamina and add a few challenges to your rides.
For Weeks 5-6 focus on building endurance and perhaps work on increasing your speed, again without overexertion.
- Cycling Frequency: Stick to 3 times per week if this feels right for you, but you can try 4 times
- Duration: Increase your ride time by 10 minutes to 30-40 minutes. Remember the objective is to get fit cycling safely, not to injure yourself.
- Intensity: Start to introduce intervals of riding faster for 3-5 minutes and then slow down to 5 minutes at a steady, comfortable pace. Over the two weeks repeat this more often over each session
For Weeks 7-8 the aim is to improve your cardiovascular capacity and strength in your legs.
Cycling Frequency: Remain at the 3 days a week or increase to 4 if that suits your schedule
Duration: 40-50 minutes rides if your body allows you
Intensity: Start to incorporate slight hill climbs if your route can include them, which obviously depends on the country where you live. If suitable hills aren’t available, increase resistance in intervals, by that I mean use a gear setting that challenges you.
Month 3: Shifting Up A Gear
In the third month, I would start to challenge myself. Maybe you could mix intensity with longer rides, or add gym work to build overall fitness.
For Weeks 9-10 continue to focus on endurance and where possible include more varied cycle routes to build strength.
- Cycling Frequency: Increase to 5 days per week if your body’s ready, e.g., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, depending on your overall goal [hyperlink to an article on goals]. But if you’re schedule only allows 3 days per week, stick to that as your regular habit
- Duration: Get to or stay at 50-60 minutes per ride
- Intensity: Continue with the hills where possible. Also increase intense intervals further, maybe to 5 minutes hard pace, and then 5 minutes moderate.
For Weeks 11-12 the aim is to reach our goal to get fitter easily when over 50 cycling in 3 months while listening to our bodies. When we’re over 50, we should give ourselves allowances and let the time to accomplish the goal expand if necessary. The objective is success. Speed of success should be secondary. Think long term.
Duration: If possible, increase the length of at least one of these rides to 75 minutes
Cycling Frequency: Ride 3 or 5 times per week, whatever you’ve decided is right for you
Intensity: Try to mix challenging rides that may sometimes push you out of your comfort zone, with your usual rides so you build up greater endurance and fitness. Maybe choose routes with slightly steeper hills.
Summary
You can get fitter easily when over 50 cycling in 3 months if you follow a plan that doesn’t push you too hard or too fast but aims to get you there in the end safely.
- You should see improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and overall endurance, and the way to prove this of course is to track your progress.
- You will be able to cycle longer distances, climb hills with ease, and feel generally more fit and energized.
But remember to always listen to your body, take those rest days when necessary. This is especially true during the first month as your body gets used to a rude awakening with the your new habits you want to form for a better, fitter, more enjoyable life.
