How to Have Fun and Be Fit riding a Trikke

http://www.factoryphils.com/

In previous articles, I've written about how to get started, how to get into "pre-shape" and how to find your fitness level. I've mentioned that keeping your workouts varied and FUN is, in my opinion, the best way to develop the habit of a healthy exercise routine. For me, getting into and/or being in shape is an important part of life. It's also something that like most people I struggle with daily. Even when something is FUN it can be a challenge to find the time. Still, the more fun you can have while exercising, the easier it becomes to find that time. Today, I want to talk about one activity that is fun and offers a great overall workout and makes it a little easier to get out the door and do something good for your body.

One of my favorite aerobic activities is riding my Trikke (pronounced "trike"). The spelling is not a typo and if you've never seen one you can visit my website http://www.factoryphils.com/ and click a video to see one in action. Trikkes are human powered 3-wheel carving vehicles. Some people think of them as a 3 wheeled scooter, but they aren't. Once you understand how they work, you can get them moving without ever putting a foot down on the ground. You stand with your feet firmly planted on the footpads, hold a set of handlebars and literally rock and roll to get them moving. When you are standing on a Trikke, you'll find that they are amazingly stable, it is really easy to keep your balance on one, and there is NO IMPACT in a Trikke workout. Once rolling, the rock and roll motion continues and you carve gentle, curving "S's" as you glide along the street or sidewalk. The rhythm of riding a Trikke has a calming effect as you gently sway from one side to the other and learn to lean with the vehicle. I've heard people say that the motion is a lot like skiing or in-line skating. It's also a wonderful, light aerobic workout. Your heart rate increases to that magic but hard to find "increased but not too hard" zone.

In a future article, I'll get into target heart rates and different opinions on how to figure out what rate you should try to hit and maintain while exercising. For the purpose of this article, I believe in the old concept that if you can hold a conversation while you are working out, you're probably not overworking; if you can sing a song while you are working out, you're probably not working hard enough. You, your doctor and common sense are going to be your best guide on this. From my personal experience, I believe that you can get wonderful gains in fitness, decrease your blood pressure, body fat and weight by getting a reasonable amount of light to moderate exercise. What's a reasonable amount? I'd say 25 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times per week. It's also my opinion that you should add 10 to 15 minutes of cooling down and stretching to this routine for the best overall benefit. Remember, you can stretch almost anywhere. There are myriads of articles on stretches that you can do at your desk while talking on the phone.

When you are starting out, you may not be able to maintain even a light pace for 25 to 30 minutes per session. That's O.K; Start. Perhaps you can do 5 minutes. Well, then do 5 minutes. In the weeks that follow, add just a minute or two per workout per week. Maybe in your second week, you work out day 1 for 5 minutes, day 2 for 7 minutes, then back to 5 minutes for day 3. As you get stronger and more fit, keep adding a minute or two per week, and then add an extra day when you feel you are ready. If you have a strong day and perhaps double your usual workout (not too hard to go from 5 minutes to 10), take a day off and let your body recover. If you are able to start with 10 minutes, start there. Listen to your body and don't be lazy. When you are ready, with light to moderate exercise, you can certainly increase to 5 or 6 days per week without worry of overdoing it, and you will get in shape faster.

By the way, all of us should start any exercise routine with a chat with our doctor; but if you aren't up to 5 minutes of light exercise, I think it is IMPERATIVE.

25 to 30 minutes 3 to 4 times per week. This is the first target you should aim for. If that is all you ever do, you will get tremendous benefits. If you can extend it to 4 to 5 times per week, even better. But to do that, you need to be having FUN.

Trikkes are fun and are a pretty easy path to this light to moderate type of workout. When you ride one, you use your legs, arms, and core, giving you a total body workout. It's easy to control your pace, and therefore easy to keep your heart rate where you need it to be. The best part is that riding a Trikke is FUN. Just because they are relatively easy to ride does not mean that you can't ride them hard and fast. There are athletes who jump them, hop them and slide them. Basically, they offer something for everyone in one easy to use human-powered vehicle.

Another aspect of a Trikke that is appealing has to do with that ability to control your pace. For parents of young children who are still learning to ride a two-wheeler, it is easy to stay at a pace that works for both the child and you. Because of the "S" motion of a Trikke, the parent can still get a decent work out while traveling at a slower clip. Plus, because a Trikke is stable and will stand alone, it's easy to get off of to assist a little one when need be.

So, just to overstate my case, you need to have FUN if you plan on making exercise a routine part of your life. Finding a variety of fun activities is a great way to keep you interested and motivated. Riding a Trikke is a great overall body workout and is a lot of FUN.

Have Fun; Be Fit! ™

Phil Ammendolia
http://www.factoryphils.blogspot.com/
http://www.factoryphils.com/

Coming up, information about maximum exercise benefits and heart rates.