Let’s face it, when it comes to fitness, motorcyclists don’t get much respect compared to other athletes. For many, riding a motorcycle up the local canyons or taking hot laps down at the area raceway is a breeze. Then again, have you ever tried riding for an hour through twisty canyons?

Similar to other fitness activities, your body can get quite a work out from prolonged or more vigorous riding. Lack of fitness can hinder one’s performance, especially after a prolonged ride. Nevertheless, increased fitness allows the rider to fight off fatigue, which limits performance and can be dangerous when you’re riding at the limit of your abilities. Moreover, improving general fitness and muscle tone helps reduce the general aches and pains associated with riding for long periods by increasing joint strength and improving body posture.

There are several areas of fitness and well-being which when addressed can improve rider performance. A good start to improving rider fitness is cardiovascular exercise. Also known as Aerobic Exercise, Cardiovascular Exercise is any activity that elevates your ability to do work over a sustained period of time (e.g. swimming and running).

Although motorcyclists use their whole body when riding, the stomach, forearms and inner thighs are of primary importance. Some exercises for these parts are push-ups, sit-ups, leg raises, biceps curl, and wrist curl. Nevertheless, while working on your arms and legs, don’t forget to develop core body strength. This is because, as your core (trunk or center of gravity) strength increases, you’ll find that you rely less on your arms to support your body while riding, freeing up your arms to control the bike with less effort.

Next time someone says motorcycle riding doesn’t involve exerting any physical activity, ask them to ride for an hour through twisty canyons.