If you, like many cyclists, set big goals around your rides—going faster, riding longer, or winning races—we have some good news. You can improve many of your ride metrics just by making small tweaks to your daily health habits. And we have the most important ones for you to focus on.
Here, we explain seven daily healthy habits that have been proven to benefit your overall health and your cycling all at once.
1. Get More Sleep
Do you sleep less in order to fit socializing, a job, and long rides into your life? You’re probably not doing yourself—or your rides—any favors. According to the CDC, almost a third of Americans sleep less than they need and want to.
If you’re not getting enough shut-eye, you might be engaging in something called bedtime procrastination, Chelsie Rohrscheib, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Australia’s Queensland Brain Institute and lead sleep expert at Wesper, an at-home sleep technology company, tells Bicycling. You are delaying your sleep to fit in more “me time” at the end of the night. This typically results in lower-than-recommended sleep time, reduces overall sleep quality, and shifts your sleep schedule. “We typically see sleep procrastination occurring in extremely busy individuals who pack a lot into their day,” she adds.
To solve this problem, it might help to take more mindful breaks throughout the day so you have time to yourself before you go to sleep. But focusing on improving your “sleep hygiene” will also help. According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep hygiene comprises a number of habits that promote restful sleep, including relaxing before bed and getting exercise and sunlight during the day.
Another aspect of sleep hygiene? Reducing your smartphone use before bed. According to a 2023 Sleep Foundation survey, American adults spend, on average, 3.5 hours scrolling through social media before bed every night. Instead of looking at your phone, try reading a book before bed, which studies show can help you fall asleep and then sleep soundly.
How this helps cycling: Sleeping fewer than the recommended seven to nine hours a night may negatively affect your cycling performance. In one small study, 10 cyclists who clocked a solid eight hours of sleep had a higher mean power output during rides than sleep-restricted riders during in-lab time trials. The sleep-deprived group also had decreased sprint performance and overall reduced total wellness scores (a combination of fatigue, sleep quality, general muscle soreness, stress, and mood).
If you regularly meet a cycling group for weekend rides or have a long ride on your training plan, your preparation for that workout should begin the night before with a good night’s sleep.
How this helps overall health: Good sleep is necessary for almost every aspect of health, including metabolism, muscle growth, and the brain. According to the National Institutes of Health, without sleep, the brain, the blood vessels, and the immune system don’t have time to repair from the work they do when you’re awake.
Getting good sleep, according to the American College of Cardiology, could even add years to your life. And a 2017 meta-analysis published by the Journal of the American Heart Association found an association between both sleeping too little and too much and an increased risk of all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular events.
2. Eat a Plant-Based Diet
Studies suggest that a plant-based or plant-conscious diet (meaning you focus on eating fewer animal products) may offer benefits to endurance athletes, like cyclists.
For example, the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on mostly plans, has been found to improve aspects of athletic performance, as measured by metrics like treadmill time trials and grip strength (though researchers note we need larger studies).
While you want to eat more plants, you also want to consume fewer processed foods, going for items like whole grains, Padmavati Garvey, M.D., an ob-gyn and professor in the Physician Assistant Program at Marist College in New York says, as she advocates for a whole-food, plant-based diet both in and out of her medical practice. “A good guideline for determining if a diet is plant-based would be to consume animal products no more than twice a week and to opt for fish when eating animal products,” she tells Bicycling.
To make the switch to more plant foods, focus not on what you need to take away, but on building your plates around vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruit, nuts, seeds, and unsaturated oils, like olive oil and avocados. Then, according to the USDA, add eight ounces (two servings) of fish and other seafood, poultry, and dairy products, such as eggs and cheese.
How this helps cycling: Because plant-based diets are so beneficial for cardiovascular health, a metric that is critical for endurance athletes, they are also good for performance, according to a 2019 Nutrients article. Specifically, these diets improve cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood glucose control, and as part of a healthful lifestyle, have been shown to reverse atherosclerosis—the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. These attributes, according to the study authors, “provide a scientific foundation for the increased use of plant-based diets by endurance athletes.”
How this helps overall health: Aside from the fitness goals, reducing meat consumption and incorporating more plant-based foods into the diet is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers, according to Missouri Medicine.
3. Do Dynamic Stretches Regularly
Stretching helps your body by improving flexibiliity and mobility, but there is also an important mind-body connection. It turns out that stretching can not only help your riding, but also your long-term health.
According to a small 2023 Sensor study of 19 healthy young adults, there is a positive correlation between low-intensity movement, such as stretching, and specific brain waves, and the parasympathetic nervous system (or your “rest and digest” state). In other words, your body and brain benefit from non-intense movement by increasing your brain’s ability to focus and relax.
How this helps cycling: Stretching increases the blood flow and oxygen content in your system, spiking an increase in muscle temperature, Michele Olson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., a senior clinical professor of sports science and physical education at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, tells Bicycling. She suggests doing active movements, like arm circles, marches, and leg swings, at a low intensity in the morning. You can also add these dynamic movements before or after rides.
How this helps overall health: Changes in strength, flexibility, and mobility as people age accounts for problems in independence and health, according to a 2021 study published in Journal of Mid-Life Health. Flexibility, like other physical abilities, is a “use it or lose it” proposition, and without it, an older person may not be able to, for example, bend over and tie their shoes or reach into a high cupboard.
More seriously, though, physical activity at any level, including low-intensity, is linked to better health outcomes and a longer life, according to the British Medical Journal.
4. Work Out With a Group
It is almost impossible to overstate the many physical and mental benefits of companionship. There’s no shortage of data showing that loneliness and social isolation are linked to serious medical conditions, from heart disease to dementia.
In fact, in 2023, Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, called the occurrence of loneliness in the country an epidemic. Being with other people is a basic biological need.
How this helps cycling: “Going out with a group is a great way to practice your pack riding skills,” Ayesha McGowan, the first African American pro women’s road racer who helped found The Black Foxes cycling group with members all over the world tells Bicycling. “You get the benefit of the ebbs and flows of other people’s pacing. It’s a good primer for your nervous system that will keep you aware and alert. Most importantly, it’s fun. Riding alone can become boring so it’s always nice to find myself in good company.”
If you aren’t in touch with other nearby riders, cycling expert Connor Swegle, co-founder of Priority Bicycles in New York City suggests going to nearby bike shops to see if they sponsor groups. “Another rider or group of riders can offer you structure, and be a good sounding board,” Swegle tells Bicycling. “They can help you optimize what you’re doing out on the road.”
How this helps overall health: When heading out in a group, be sure to bring your positive attitude and a few jokes. How many cyclists does it take to change a light? It depends. If it’s red, why wait for it to change? In addition to just being with others, laughter and positivity can have a profound impact on both physical and mental health. Laughter can boost your immune system, reduce stress hormones, and even improve cardiovascular health.
Even “weaker tie” relationships have an enormous effect on our wellbeing, according to 2020 research published in The Journals of Gerontology. These relatively superficial interactions, which might include smiling at someone or just saying hello, make us happier.
5. Hit the Gym Regularly
When strength training for longevity, a focus on power reaps great rewards. A 2022 European Review of Aging and Physical Activity found that muscle power is a more critical determinant of physical functioning in older adults than muscle strength. Muscle power refers to how much force you can exert quickly and is an important component of functional fitness.
Similarly, core work is important for protection against injury and preparation for a long, active life. “Working your core is always important because a weak core can result in injuries, poor riding form, or even reduce your endurance and power output,” Olson says.
Olson recommends hitting the four distinct muscles that make up the front and sides of your midsection: the transverse abdominis (deepest layer and wraps around your torso), the rectus abdominis (your “six-pack” abs), the external obliques (runs hip to ribs on sides of your torso), and the internal obliques (beneath your external obliques), as well as your back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, and the trapezius.
Try Olson’s favorite core moves: planks, Pilates roll-up, and side planks.
How this helps cycling: Powerful legs are a requirement for cycling, as they help you charge up hills and gain speed quickly. To build power, focus on kettlebell swings and skaters—moves that are explosive and require you to work against momentum. These moves will improve your power output and cycling economy, says Olson.
The core work will counteract the potential issues that arrive from spending lots of time in the saddle. “The strength of your back is most important as you’re hunched over your handlebars.” Olson explains. “The spine muscles are part of the core, particularly the lower spine muscles that attach to the pelvis.”
How this helps overall health: Research shows that strength training, not just aerobic activity, is associated with healthy aging, especially with functional fitness, such as being able to carry grocery bags, open cans, and to keep cycling. Plus, it helps you maintain muscle mass as you age.
Strong muscles, including core strength, provide stability (and less falling) as people age, according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, and falls are the leading cause of injury in older people, according to the CDC.
6. Cut Back on Alcohol
While you don’t have to go completely dry, limiting alcohol will help you stay on track and in top performance shape. “The good news is that post-exercise, a modest amount of alcohol, such as one drink, consumed with a balanced healthy meal will have minimal negative impact on the body,” Alex Larson, a Minnesota-based registered dietitian who’s completed more than 20 triathlons, including one Ironman, tells Bicycling. “The bad news is that alcohol delays the recovery process and impairs muscle growth and repair. It also can negatively impact hydration as well.”
That’s because once alcohol enters your bloodstream it makes its way to nearly every organ in your body. Within five minutes, alcohol reaches your bloodstream, and within ten minutes, it reaches your brain where it impairs judgment, slows down cognitive functioning, and affects mood.
To that end, when you finish your workout or race, Larson recommends immediately begin rehydrating with water or a sports drink and then waiting a few hours before having an alcoholic drink to allow your body time to recover.
Remember that alcohol stays in your system for a period of time, so it may affect your next ride, too. The length of time it takes you to metabolize alcohol depends on many factors, including genetics, age, weight, and the amount of food that you ate, Larson says.
How this helps cycling: “You’ll want to avoid alcohol the day before a workout and certainly on the day of a workout or event,” says Olson. Athletes lose water and electrolytes through sweat when you exercise so drinking the day before a hard cycling session could increase dehydration and dizziness. Be aware of this if you do drink, as you might want to increase your water intake.
“Alcohol will mess with your hormones and inflammatory response to exercise, which makes it more difficult for your body to repair and recover from micro muscle tears that happen during training,” Olson explains.
By avoiding alcohol, you can recover better, get better sleep, and boost your motivation—all of which will better your performance.
How this helps overall health: One study from the Canadian Medical Journal Association found that those who either always abstained from drinking or stopped drinking reported having better quality of life and greater improvements in their mental wellbeing.
Also, because research links alcohol to diseases like cancer, avoiding consumption could help you avoid early mortality.
