As I head towards the Giant of Provence and the Haute Route Ventoux amateur cycling race, I wanted to write down my top tips for training for a Haute Route event, especially if you don't have much time.

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There are many reasons to start cycling. You might need to get your heart pumping and lose weight. Maybe you want to improve your overall fitness goals. It could be as simple as wanting to build some muscle. But keep in mind that there are mental health benefits to cycling too. Various studies have proven that exercising contributes to a more positive mental attitude.  

Let’s take a closer look at how your interest in cycling can improve your overall mental health.

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Climbing: you either love it or you hate it! Sadly, for most cyclists, the latter seems to be the norm. The thought of going out for a hilly ride brings many out in a bout of ‘oh gosh, doesn’t the weather look like it’s about to turn?’ That’s why learning to climb when you start out is the best thing you can do. 

Climbing is difficult. It’s arguably the hardest thing you can do on a bike; whether it’s a short, sharp lung-burner, or a longer ascent that seems like it’s never going to end. It’s no wonder then that many new cyclists avoid the hilly rides in favour of a flatter, easier route. Here’s the rub: climbing, like most difficult things, makes you better! Nothing will improve your cycling ability, confidence and enjoyment more than learning to climb. The good news is that climbing is as much about technique as it is fitness, and that technique can be learnt.

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Indoor cycling used to mean one of two things. A gruelling solo effort on the turbo trainer in your living room, trying to concentrate on Eastenders to stop the pain, or a techno pumping, dance-on-your-bike spin class. Now we've got nothing against either of those things (if that's what you're into), but if you like suffering with other people, or want some stats with your techno, where do you go?

Well luckily for you, Digme Fitness exists to offer you a much better alternative. An indoor cycling studio (well, multiple studios in The City, Richmond and Oxford) that caters for both stat heads, pedal pushing techno dancers and everyone in between. Digme also love to promote for the community aspect of indoor cycling - large classes (around 50 bikes) feel small with the use of flat screens showing stats and animated cycling avatars, and hugely enthusiastic trainers get everyone involved.

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It's maybe not a surprise that headphones have become pretty important in our lives during lockdown. Zoom calls, solo exercise sessions and those much needed moments of sanity away from family/flatmates.

Podcasts have exploded, any new music has been pounced upon, and if you're like me, you've been listening endlessly to the same news over and over again. My headphones might as well have been surgically welded into my ears. 

Now there are a million different types of headphones, and everyone has their favourites, but what are the best headphones for exercise?

Whether or not you should even wear headphones whilst exercising (especially cycling) is a big bone of contention. Part of the reason Aftershokz created their first open ear headphones back in 2012. 

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