Tips for Starting a Cycling or Swimming Routine

High summer brings me people saying “I’ve always wanted to try open water swimming” or “I was thinking this is such great weather for biking, maybe I’ll get back to that”.

Here for you then, are some tips for getting things rolling/stroking in biking/swimming. And they are two of my all time favorites for mental, physical and social health.

First off, gather your gear and think through logistics.

This might be all you do for the first steps of your routine. Since starting or rekindling a habit is challenging, don’t try to do too much on your first attempt. Make your first Bike/Swim workouts simply about getting your gear ready. That’s right, I’m saying you won’t even necessarily bike or swim on your first attempt. But you’ll carve out time to get ready to do the thing.

So, Cyclists-to-Be, make sure your bike is in good shape, tuned up, pumped up and everything works. Aspiring swimmers, acquire or check your stuff– goggles don’t leak, swimsuit is streamlined. If open water, get a swim buoy and think through your changing routine, how will you stow things like car keys while you swim? etc.

These may seem like unimportant details, but it’s stuff like this that causes friction when you are trying to start a new activity. They are just logistics, but if you don’t sort them out, they will continue to make it hard to get into the new habit. Be looking for ways to remove friction and make your new habit as easy and fun to do as possible.

Decide where you’ll go.

If you’re new to biking, you might like to try a paved trail that doesn’t have cars, isn’t a major commute thoroughfare, and also doesn’t have kids and dogs darting in front of you. This could be a trail like the one around Seward Park, or parts of the Burke Gilman (depending on the time of day), or other regional less populated trails. 

For swimmers, will you go to a pool? If so, there’s research to do. When are their lap-swim hours, and do they fit your schedule? If you’re trying out open water, go with a friend or find a swim group. There are locations those groups will frequent. Hidden Beach (aka E Harrison Shoreline Street End Park) is a favorite in central Seattle. If you are going solo, consider going to a beach with a lifeguard where you can get comfortable in the water, touch bottom when you want, while someone is keeping an eye on you. Madrona Beach, Madison Park and Seward Park Beaches have rather sizable areas where you can get away from the fray and swim longer stretches within life-guarded zones. 

When will this fit into your day? Will you go with others?

New habits and routines tend not to implant themselves effortlessly into our days. It almost always takes planning and scheduling a specific time. This is another reason it can be helpful to go with others–accountability. The downside is coordinating with someone else’s schedule. Whichever you choose, schedule a specific day and time when you are unlikely to have it derailed by other responsibilities. The habit-building mavens tell us that the best way to set yourself up for success with a new habit is to do it right after something you already dependably do. So think: RIGHT AFTER I drop the kids at camp, or right after I finish my last meeting on Thursday, or right after I have my morning coffee. Since consistency is what makes a habit, ideally find a time you can repeat regularly so before long, you will be saying, “oh I always swim right after I drop the kids off at camp.”

Start small!

While it can be delightful to go out for a nice long ride or hang out at the beach, those experiences rarely lead to consistency, and also tend not to be great for your body trying a new thing. Cycling and swimming are each demanding in their own way. Even if you have strong running fitness (for example), you may be surprised at how physically challenging it is to swim 100 yards or bike up a Seattle hill. When you’re starting out (or coming back from an absence), keep your excursions short at first: 15-30 minutes.

If getting started is at all hard (you keep saying you’re going to do it, but you notice that it never actually happens), your goal is to go out for 5-10 minutes. That’s it! Groove the habit first. After you’ve kept that groove consistently for a week or two, you can extend your time. 

Plan for food and hydration.

Both cycling and swimming are fuel-intensive activities. You’ll be best served to go into them having had some carbohydrates in the hour or so prior. For a 30 minute effort, just having some fruit and 8-16oz of water or electrolytes before you head out are a good start. Longer workouts need more fuel, and more planning.

Do a warm up and cool down

Prep your body for its new workout. Think about which muscles and joints you will be using–move them through a range of motion similar to what the sport will do. As you start moving, go gently, elevating your heart rate to moderate. Dynamic (moving) stretches are better for your pre-activity warm-up as they prepare your neuromuscular system to move quickly and efficiently. Static stretches (holding in a position) are better as a post-activity cool down because they re-set muscles to optimal length and balance tension around joints.

Get coached!

For both of these activities, form, alignment, technique really matter! They will help you move more effortlessly and avoid injuring yourself right out of the gate. A few tips can make a massive difference in how much you enjoy the activity. So, have someone observe and give you feedback on your form and technique. Having a date with a coach also ensures you actually get out for a ride or swim.

I’d love to answer your questions and help you think through setting a cycling/swimming habit in motion. Let’s make a date! There’s a community of cyclists and swimmers (as well as runners, SUPers, hikers and more) in Unstill Life who would love to fan the flames of your outdoor interests. Come meet up with us.

Check out Unstill Life on Heylo, a fitness community app. You’ll see our classes and runs listed, see photos, and chat us up.