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Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Motorcycling

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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

Motorcycling and Emotional Equilibrium

Our psychological needs as human beings are complex. Emotional equilibrium requires a balance of stimulation and relaxation. Depending on our temperament, maintaining such balance can be a delicate and precarious affair, requiring much precise, active management. Or, for the more fortunate, balance can be easy, elastic and resilient, with wide margins in both directions before swings become problematic.

Regardless of how sensitive we are to over-stimulation and under-stimulation, life will push us out of balance. We need methods for correcting excesses and deficiencies to regulate our level of arousal and avoid the opposing extremes of frenzy and malaise. We need recreation.

Recreation is a fluid concept. For someone frazzled by too many demands and exhausted by a plethora of events and interactions—even when these have been enjoyable—recreation may take a quiet, passive, withdrawn form. Ever feel like you need to just sit and stare for a day in uninterrupted silence?

On the other hand, when a person’s recent experience has been dominated by restrictions and boredom (think “cabin fever”), recreation would involve excitement, challenging activities and boisterous socializing. What would restore vitality in the stifled person would drain the overwhelmed person’s few remaining reserves.

Usually, our personalities and typical circumstances make us more vulnerable to one extreme or the other, but everyone has to contend with both, at least occasionally. Recreation might be defined as that which restores our equilibrium in whichever direction is needed. It literally re-creates a state wherein we feel like our best self—a creature with energy and interests, ready to engage the world in meaningful, vigorous and pleasurable ways. It refreshes our perspectives on self, others and life itself, allowing for creative problem solving, deeper connections and heartfelt joy.

Recreation is the oil in our psychological machinery. Without it, the mania or drudgery of daily life becomes unsustainable; things eventually grind to a halt or overheat and explode. I see it all the time in my practice as a clinical psychologist. For varying reasons, people develop the unrealistic self-expectation that they should somehow be able to run without oil.

At one end of the spectrum, there are those who race frantically through never-ending lists of duties and obligations, pausing briefly here and there to collapse into fitful sleep. At the other end, there are those whose days drone on monotonously at a snail’s pace, without any spark of drive—they may sleepwalk for years.

The former group “has no time” for recreation, as though it were a luxury they cannot afford as busy people with more important things to cross off their lists. The latter group may have plenty of time, but can’t locate any desire within themselves to fuel a pursuit. Again, recreation isn’t taken seriously as a need; from the lethargic perspective, it looks like something that would only deplete them further, rather than invigorating their souls.

When we go a long time without eating, we get hungrier and hungrier for a while, but then hunger fades. Our proficiency and energy level continue to decline with waning blood sugar, but our appetite has despaired of gratification and shut down—until we take that first bite of food! Then we suddenly feel ravenous as our appetite returns with a vengeance.

The same is true of our natural longing for equilibrium, and by extension, recreation. If we neglect this need long enough, we eventually cease to wish for it. We may even forget what recreation was actually like. Balance becomes a remote abstraction, seemingly irrelevant in our present existence.

It’s all too easy to settle into a familiar rut, whether it’s a frenetic or a tedious one. And the more time we spend in it, the deeper it gets. The solution is regular, deliberate interruption of such insidious trends. Just as it’s easy to put off periodic oil changes, we can procrastinate the routine maintenance needed to keep our psyches in good working order.

I’ve marveled in this column before about how motorcycling offers such a wide variety of experiences that our involvement in it can offset deficits in either peace or adventure. I won’t repeat all the possible variations here, but think for a moment of the ways you’ve used some aspect of our beloved avocation to help calm yourself down when you were agitated—a long, relaxing solo ride through pastureland, for example, or a weekend spent perfecting your bike in the isolated sanctuary of your garage.

Now think about times you’ve used some element of your motorcycling life to launch yourself out of the doldrums. Maybe you signed up for a track day or joined your buddies on an impromptu ride to a scenic destination...in bad weather! Motorcycling can easily serve to get our heart rates higher or lower, depending on what we need.

If recreation is the oil that keeps our psychological parts from cannibalizing themselves, good habits make up the flywheel that keeps us from lurching violently through cycles of acceleration and deceleration. Smooth running requires that we not allow the swings in our arousal level to gather too much momentum. Or, in better keeping with the flywheel analogy, we need to engage regularly in practices that maintain the momentum of our own self-regulation.

Obviously, basics such as healthy and consistent patterns of sleeping, eating and exercising are part of the overall picture here, like pie-slice sections of that flywheel. But have you thought of your involvement in motorcycling as something similar? Given how it can contribute to the re-creation of our psychological equilibrium, we should be scheduling it into our routines, just like meals or trips to the gym, whether we feel the need or not.

In addition to all the holiday-related commotion, I had a knee injury and two minor surgeries between Thanksgiving and Christmas, each of which precluded getting on a bike, among other activities. So, as of this writing, I’ve gone an extraordinarily long time without a single ride, and now winter weather will throw up additional hurdles to getting back in the saddle. I need help recovering from both the intense over-stimulation and intense under-stimulation of the past two months. And yet, what I feel is an eerie numbness in place of my usual desire to ride. It has gone unfed for too long.

I’ve been here before. It’s a rarity, but not completely unprecedented. Unimaginable as this would normally be, I may have to really push myself to get out on a bike again, now that I’m finally healed enough to allow it. Within the first minute, though, I know from past experience that a dramatic change will occur. My dormant enthusiasm will reawaken and rush back into its familiar place, like life-giving air filling a vacuum. And I’ll wonder how I could have possibly survived so long without oxygen.

Or oil.

Dr. Mark Barnes is a Clinical Psychologist. He completed his internship at The Cambridge Hospital of Harvard Medical School and has been in private practice since 1992 in Knoxville, TN. He owns both dirt and street bikes, “cross-trains” on a pair of vintage PWCs, and has written extensively for MCN since 1996.

Staying Warm On You Motorcycle

Are you always looking for new and affordable items in the motorcycle world?

I found a decent lightweight heated jacket with a windproof waterproof liner that I am very pleased with. I’m talking about the heated jacket liner made by Gerbing.       It was about 24 degrees the other morning as we headed west to our annual staff meeting. With the wind chill it was about -9 degrees on the interstate. My jacket liner was doing a good job and I had turned up pretty high but not quite all the way. The jacket liner has a very comfy flannel neck liner that feels good around your neck and fits nicely under my Olympia Adventure Coat and kept me warm but my issue is with the Gerbing Gloves.

The gloves I have are the Ultra Light Heated Gloves and I’m not sure why they don’t heat up as well as the jacket liner but my hands never got warm they could have been colder I suppose but they never got what I would call toasty. Some may say it’s because it was 24 degrees and you were running 70 mph down the interstate and I was running both the jacket liner and the gloves at the same time. I never had this issue with the older Gerbing Gloves I have.

 

   

My biggest complaint is the gloves do not fit well over a jacket sleeve. The opening for the gloves are too small in my opinion and seem to leave a space for cold air to get in and up your sleeve. This is no fun especially at 0500 in the morning and you have 3 hour ride towards the mountains. Have you ever been on a ride like this and for some crazy reason when you see snow on the ground you feel colder?!?!? I know it probably all in my head but you couldn’t have sold that to my hands that morning;-)

                                                              

If you are looking for a good heated jacket liner then I recommend the Gerbing Jacket Liner but the Ultra Light Gloves you may want to look at another heavier duty Gerbing Heated Glove. The Ultra Lights may be ok if I could get them over my jacket sleeve better.        

Well that’s my 2 cents worth and I hope it helps you with any decisions you may have with heated gear.

Inexpensive Long Distance Motorcycling Tips

continued from Feb 2016 MotoMark1 news. Want to sign up? click here 

The most inexpensive way to travel on a motorcycle is with a tent. I know, some of you gave up the tent along time ago. However, sleeping under the stars can really bring the zen back into your life and allows for other ways to spend your money while travelling. If you don't mind camping, some savings tips are:

1. Find an off the road place to set up your tent that is undeveloped, meaning it has no picnic tables or outhouses. 

2. If you choose a campsite, a good tip is to ride around the campsite first to see if there are other motorcyclists there. If so, 

ask if they are willing to share their site. Half the cost of having your own.

If you just can't take the tent idea, there are some folks that open their home 

up to motorcyclists for either no cost or really low cost. You can find these opportunities by joining MotoStays.com or Motorcycle Travel Network. Both 

have a membership fee but if you take advantage of a "free" room its well 

worth the fee.

If you have to stay at a hotel, use AAA to get a discount. Offer to pay cash for 

their lowest rate. Use some of the sites like priceline.com if you can't negotiate 

a lower rate yourself. Generally after 6PM you can get the best rate, if that 

works for you. 

If you do stay at a hotel, do your laundry, use their WIFI and choose one that 

offers breakfast in the morning. Grab an extra banana or muffin for your 

snack along the way.  

Breakfast and Lunch are your two cheapest eating out options. Travel with 

a mini cooler and stop at grocery stores to stock up. Peanut butter and 

jelly taste way better while on the road. Carry a lot of snacks so you don't make expensive food choices because you are hungry. 

Gas is an expense that you don't have much control over. You can choose a 

chain that offers discounts and carry their card. Also, if you utilize points on 

your credit card, charge your fuel to it and benefit when you get home.

Live your dream!

Packing for Motorcycle Travel

You know the fun of a motorcycle ride. Even better is a multi-day or longer ride. Some of you moto veterans have already done this. A question that often comes up from riders is “what do I bring and how do I pack it on my motorcycle”? In my years of experience I would like to offer my insight as someone whom has packed my motorcycle for a lengthy journey.

One way to start this process (as it will be a “process of elimination” in the end) is to lay out everything you would like to have on this trip. Lay out a bedsheet on the floor and place the items you wish to take on the sheet. If you absolutely need a blow dryer for your hair every day, than lay it out. I have traveled with a guy that this is a must as not every motel or hotel has one. Consider buying a travel one as it is half the size.

Making a check list is a good idea but I would start with writing out all your “ must haves” on paper first. Suggestions of must haves include:

*medications* clothing*toiletries*documents*finances/cash *repair/tools *first aid*navigation/maps*camping/cooking

*water/snacks* sunglasses*cleaners* ball cap and all of the little things or niceties that you need or want to accompany you for a more enjoyable trip.

Once you have your wish list on paper and you have everything spread out, it’s time for an honest assessment.

1.      Do I need everything in my pile?

2.      Can I pack it all on my motorcycle?

A rule of thumb is whatever you have laid out, cut it in half and work from there. You want to be thinking like a backpacker, if you could carry all your stuff on your back in a pack, you can get it on a motorcycle.

Some Suggestions include:

1.      Choose clothing that is synthetic or dry wicking. Under garments made of this material are key here for riding in comfort all day.  A wash in the sink or stream at the end of the day and they are dry by morning. Yes, you can ride on a week-long trip with 2 pairs of underwear. Look to active outdoor clothing for wear off the bike.  This type of clothing does not retain malodorous smells and can also be washed in the evening and ready for the next day of travel. (it would not be uncommon to see a piece of clothing drying on my bike as I drove down the road)

2.      If you are like me, you never miss an opportunity to take the shampoo and soap when you stay in a hotel. Motorcycle travel is a great place to utilize these small size toiletries; small is good or purchase travel size while you are shopping.  A travel size toothpaste will last all week.  

3.      Roll all of your clothing. You can fit more in your side cases when they are rolled. I take my socks rolled up and stuff them in my footwear that I will be wearing off the bike. Any space that can be used is filled.

This all takes practice and my first attempts were shall we say “ugly” as I looked like someone fleeing their homeland. You learn by doing and over time you will find the right combination. Once you have a final list it is time for a dry test. Take time to thoughtfully pack everything up. Anything related to moto repair, rain gear, extra gloves and the like goes in one area. All items that will come with me at the end of the day to my motel or tent are in one bag/case. This saves me from sorting every day and lugging more than I need to. Once everything is secured on the motorcycle, I go for a ride, stop for fuel and practice getting on and off the motorcycle several times. I am checking for balance and ensuring that all cargo is secure. This dry run is important as any adjustments are easier now than 10 miles down the road with a schedule to keep. You will be amazed with just how little you need to bring on a motorcycle trip and how and good it feels to not over pack. I have just lightly touched on this subject there are pages and pages to share however; my message is get out there and try it. Travel by motorcycle is one of the most stimulating, fun things you can do. Going for days or weeks is even better!

When you get home from your adventure, make a list of the things you wished you had and a list of what you didn’t use. Add or subtract them from your checklist.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday Sale

Thank you to all who participated in our exclusive sale.  We look forward to working with you in 2015.