Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Motorcycling

One of America’s Premier Motorcycle Skills Enhancement Schools

919-637-0947

www.motomark1.com

Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Motorcycling

These healthy tips are for our students and/or potential students that are interested in our courses or anyone that wants to shed a few pounds and get in better shape. Our instructors are good at what they do for a few reasons. One - they live a healthy lifestyle by eating small nutritious meals each day that are filled with a good source of protein, good carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Two - they hydrate their body very well with water because this is a key ingredient to fight fatigue and muscle cramps. And lastly - they exercise to keep the body moving so it doesn’t become stagnant, soft, mushy and weak.

Your body is a lot like your motorcycle. IF you took your bike and parked it in a barn for a long time it would deteriorate; the tires would become dry rotted, the gas would go bad, the fluids would gum up in the hoses and rust and dust would take over. The motorcycle wants to be driven hard and run like there is no tomorrow!! It wants to lean way over in those curves as scraping pegs and eliminating the chicken strips on your tires!! IT can only do this if it has high octane fuel, good fluids, high performance oil, lubricated cables, gripping rubber like tiger claws that will not let go of the road giving you an awesome performing bike and feeling that we can’t get anywhere else.

Your body is a lot like your motorcycle. When motorcycling, your health and fitness level can play a huge part in learning, responding to traffic or trail situations for reflexes, flexibility, endurance and the strength to handle a bike in numerous situations. You take, for instance, weather (heat, cold, rain, wind) you will use more energy driving the bike; you need to have some level of health / fitness.

I have adopted a healthy lifestyle that has a weight loss component. I have lost some body fat, my blood pressure has come down, my cholesterol has come down and my energy level has gone up!! I use a program that has taught me how to eat 6 times a day (small nutritious meals) about every 2-3 hours and I drink close to a gallon of water a day. My activity level includes what I like to call “Life in Motion”. I do some form of activity each day. Sometimes I will walk or jog or ride a bicycle or some type of cardio exercise, then the next day I’ll do some type of resistance training such as lifting weights or body weight exercises.

You can learn more about my program by putting coachmotomark.tsfl.com in your browser bar. My program is called Take Shape For Life. This is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. I love being healthy, I love having energy to do things that matter most like doing more with my family and doing more motorcycle rides and challenges. My website has a before and after picture of me and has an exercise guide along with a detailed description of the meal plan I use. Below are some tips that will help you prior to attending one of the MotoMark1 courses and these are things that I do each day or every other day.

Sleep – try to get between 7- 8 hours of sleep each night so you are well rested and ready to tackle the day.

Meal Plan – eat every 2 – 3 hours, small nutritious meals per day; Take Shape For Life meals are preplanned with an almost equal amount of good protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. You start out using 5 meal replacements that are nutritionally balanced and then fix yourself 1 lean and green meal. This program is what I used to loose 55 unwanted pounds of body fat. By eating every 2-3 hours this regulates my blood sugar and lets me put my body into fat burn. I’ll stay in this phase until I reach my target weight goal or BMI (body mass index). Once I’ve reached my goal I then switch to a 3&3 meal plan. I’m still eating every 2-3 hours but I’m incorporating 3 lean and green meals and 3 Take Shape For Life Meals and still drink my water. This is known as my transition phase.

The transition phase is when I start to introduce new things into my meal plan very carefully and strategically like fruit and more types of vegetables. After I’ve been in the transition phase for 4-6 weeks, allowing my body to adjust I then have reached my goal and have learned a new healthy lifestyle that promotes optimal health. I feel fantastic and my energy level is sky high!! I would love for you to feel as great as I do and I know you can if you follow this healthy lifestyle.   

My day normally consist of wake up call at:

 0500 – 0600 and I drink about 24 oz. of water then I’ll have a my

0530 -0600- Meal#1 (Take Shape For Life meal replacement )usually a cappuccino calorie burn drink) and sometimes a cup of coffee (black).

Then after I’ve gotten the kids off to school I head to the gym or get my daily “Life in Motion” moving. This is anything from a walk to a bike ride to a jog to a gym visit with resistance training to some type of body movement to keep my body limber and moving. While doing my “Life In Motion” I drink lots of water. I try to drink almost a gallon a day. This helps keep the body hydrated and working properly. It also flushes your system of toxins and reduces fatigue.

0830 -0900 – Meal #2 (Take Shape For Life meal replacement you get from your kit, chocolate chip pancake, cereal, oatmeal) still drinking my water throughout the day. Once I’m through with my “Life In Motion” it may be time for another meal depending on what time it is.

1130 – 1200 – Meal #3 (Take Shape For Life meal replacement you get from your kit, Ziti Marinara) along with water

2:30pm – 3:00pm – Meal #4 (Take Shape For Life meal replacement you get from your kit, Peanut Butter Crunch Bar) along with water.

5:00pm – 5:30pm – Meal #5 Lean and green meal, this consist of a lean portion of protein about the size of the palm of your hand, a green leafy vegetable portion size about the size of your fist or your hand if cupped. This should take up half your plate (9inch plate size). The other half of the plate can be another type of green leafy veggies or a salad with greens. If it’s a salad use a small portion of olive oil and or vinegar for your dressing. Keep your salad dressing clear, if’ it’s thick and you cant see daylight through it then stay away from it til you have reached your target goal. Again you are drinking water with each meal and throughout the day.

8:00pm – 8:30pm Meal #6 (Take Shape For Life meal replacement you get from your kit) Chocolate brownie or shake, or cookie along with your water.

This wraps up what a day of healthy eating habits looks like.

Here’s an example of exercises you could use prior to a MotoMark1 class or just help improve your health.

If you have not been exercising please consult with your doctor to let them know you want to start a health program.

Warm up 5 -10 minutes walking, bicycle, elliptical (easy gradual motion)

Push ups- 1 set of 10 -20 reps

 (if this is hard try using a counter top to push off of, this is not quite as difficult as the floor, as you get stronger you will work your way to the floor).

Bent over row – 1 set of 10-20 reps

Shoulder press – 1 set of 10-20 reps

Bicep curl – 1 set of 10-20 reps

Tricep extension – 1 set of 10-20 reps

Planks – start with what ever you can do (5, 10, 15,seconds) and gradually build up to 60 seconds or longer. This is a great core exercise and is very important for over all posture and strength.

Air squats –1 set of 10-20 reps

Calf raises – 1 set of 10-20 reps

Try working a stress ball or tennis ball to build clutch and throttle hand strength. This can be done while watching tv or while surfing the web.

This is known as a resistance day for toning muscle and builds strength.

Keep a written log so you know where you started and it gives you a goal to drive for.

The next day I would work on cardio like walking, jogging, cycling, elliptical or some form of motion that will get your heart rate and breathing up. Start gradually and work your way up. 20 minutes is a nice amount of time for a walk and as it gets a little easier you may want to do a brisk walk and then a jog.

 When starting to jog use mailboxes or telephone poles. Walk to the first pole and once you have reached the second pole jog to the next one. This will get you to jog about every other one and then as you progress walk one and jog two and so on. Work your way up gradually. Do this routine of cardio one day and resistance the next day. IT would look similar to this depending on your schedule.

Monday – Cardio

Tuesday – Resistance

Wednesday – Cardio

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Cardio

Saturday – Resistance

Sunday – Go for a hike, bike ride with family, do something that keeps you moving but in a more relaxed atmosphere so you will enjoy it more and look forward to it.

Once the body fat starts coming off the energy level will go up and allow you to do more things with more fun and less effort. IF you have any questions please go to my website coachmotomark.tsfl.com or call me 919-636-0947 I’d love to help you get healthy and enjoy the MotoMark1 classes and motorcycling even more.

Thank you,

Mark Brown / Certified Health Coach and Motorcycle Instructor