Tips and Tricks for Motorcyclists

A monthly column of selected favorites from our vast archive.

I recently bumped into a post on social media where a gentleman was selling his bike because “On a long ride yesterday, it occurred to me that motorcycling has become like golfing to me; the first 9 holes are fun, but the back 9 becomes a mission to finish!” This months’ tips and tricks will tackle some health issues that may cause some riders to feel this way when they ride. When you feel good on your bike, you feel good doing just about anything else, too.

Go on a Sugar Diet

Most North Americans get far too much sugar in their diets. This leads to all kinds of badness. The obvious health issues like diabetes and glaucoma come to mind, but the need for a nap in the afternoon can be a bit problematic when you’re out for a weekend ride or multi-day tour. Make a point to go on a sugar diet, cut out as many fast carbs like candy, soda pop, white rice, potatoes, chips, packaged cereals and otherwise and clean your body up so it stays healthy and feels better.

Do the Bear Walk

Do you struggle with back pain, pain in your feet or pain through your shoulders after a long day in the saddle? Before your next ride, try walking on all fours like a bear for 100-200 feet the day before your ride. The Bear Walk provides the perfect amount of stretching and muscle toning in all the right places to realign your back which will provide better circulation and relive stress on the nerves connected to your spinal cord. If your pain is chronic, make a point to do a bear walk several times a week.

Free Weights

No matter how old or young we are, if we can still ride a bike we can also do a simple free weight workout a few times a week. No heavy lifting is required, a simple set of 8-12 pound weights will do. AARP has a decent workout buried in their website (search AARP Free Weight Workout). Doing this several times a week will increase your balance, strength and help build the stamina you need to ride all day.

Regular Cardio

If you’re a couch potato, it’s a given you’ll be in sad shape at the end of a day of riding. But that will all change with 30-60 minutes a day of cardio workout. Nothing excessive. A simple walk through the neighborhood, house cleaning, gardening and otherwise all fit the bill. You can combine that with a free weight workout every few days and you’ll be a happy all-day rider every time you ride.

Eating Better Happens at Home

We all know it’s not easy to eat well on the road and sometimes lousy food is our only option. But eating better at home can lead to a healthier system that will put up with greasy spoons and strip mall food while traveling. Resupply your pantry at home with less-processed packaged foods, buy USDA Certified Organic whenever possible, switch to grass fed meat, organic chicken, pastured pork and clean proteins and get more whole fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Chiropractic Care

Have you had a long-time issue with back, leg, foot, hand or neck pain? A good chiropractor may be just what you need if general physical therapy isn’t cutting it. There’s no need to get locked into a long-time program, often several months of tweaking will realign the areas of concern. But when it’s all over, be sure you leave with the knowledge of how to maintain your wonderful reworked body.

Get a B12 check

Getting your blood checked annually after 50 is advisable. Be sure your doctor adds on a check for B-12 levels. Most people lack good levels of B12 and vegans must supplement it, since it’s only available through dairy. As per Wikipedia – “Vitamin B12 is essential in the development of healthy blood cells, nerve cells, and proteins in the body. It also helps with the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.” Low levels can lead to many problems.

Drink More Water

Look around you. You won’t notice it, but most people don’t drink enough water. Staying hydrated is essential to keeping the brain fluids functioning at their best as well as joint and organ health. To keep your system hydrated throughout the day, make a point to drink an 8-12-ounce glass of water before or after every visit to the restroom. At work, keep a glass of water on hand at your desk and refill it throughout the day. Before going to bed at night, make an 8-ounce glass of water the night cap.

More Omega 3

Your doctor will tell you it’s important to have a good intake of Omega 3 oils, and most will steer you to fish for that. The bad Omega is 6 which is plentiful in corn. If you convert your intake of red meat to grass-fed cows, rather than corn-fed cattle, you’ll be doing your body justice without getting on the fish bandwagon.

Where’s your cell phone

In the event of a sudden change in your riding plans, your body decides to exit the confines of your bike. The bike is now on the left side of the road and you are on the right side with an injury that makes it impossible to get to the bike. If your cell phone is stored on your person, and not on the bike, you can make an emergency call. Otherwise…?

You can safely wrap the phone in foam and store it in your jacket so it won’t cause harm to you.

Tips and Tricks is a monthly column created by our editors and readers alike. If you have a tip or trick you'd like to share, email it to SReditor@soundrider.com. If we use it we'll send you a copy of The Sound RIDER! guide to Packing Light, Packing Right - FREE!