Core beliefs are basic beliefs about ourselves, other people, and the world in which we live. They are things we hold to be absolute truths deep down, underneath all our “surface” thoughts. Essentially, core beliefs determine how you perceive and interpret the world. They sit in the basement of your mind.
I would think that one of our Core Beliefs is that motorcycles are just plain fun, and maybe we just have more fun than the rest of everyone else. This sort of Core Belief is in your head and your heart… but let’s stay near your heart for the rest of this visit to the mean and nasty jungle, shall we?
Here in this part of the magazine, we talk repeatably about training, practicing, visualizing, and preparing for riding and enjoying motorcycles. Mostly it is a head game that we need to be on top of at all times while on the bike (and life for that matter), but the head sits atop the body and this is what we will talk a bit about this month… Your Body’s Core.
How are you feeling?
How much time do you spend thinking about and then working to improve your actual physical self? Although like many of us, I’m fighting age, gravity, wear and tear- like a 20-year-old Superbike I was somethin’ ‘back in the day.’ But these days?
Yes, we can give that bike a good wash and buff it up with some well-appointed wax – but it is everything that made and makes that machine run that is important.
It is the same with your body.
So, spring is here, and perhaps you spent the darker months upgrading your motorcycle – did you do anything to upgrade yourself?
Getting into a workout routine can be difficult for many, for others it is a bit easier.
For years we have been told that it takes a minimum of 21 days, three weeks, for a routine to become a habit. I think the 21-day start is simply that - just a start, and recent research bolsters my thought as a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become a habit.
Either way, we know that once a rhythm is started it gets easier to continue.
Yes, I know that some of you are saying that you cannot get to the gym, you don’t have time, you are simply too busy to make time to exercise. I learned a long time ago that every rep, set, and exercise counts; and I will tell you – that the time put back into your body will give you more time to do everything else every day; and will extend your riding time and overall happiness as well.
Let’s start with 15 minutes… and one specific part of your body.
Everybody would like to think they have, or could have, a young and healthy physique; but as riders, we should concentrate on our core.
When I say ‘Core’ I mean specific muscles. These would include the abdominal muscles, back muscles, and the muscles around the pelvis. Having a stronger Core makes it easier to do many physical activities; and can also help alleviate other problems around the body.
Case in point: A few years back I was going to move a fairly large drain auger from the barn to the house, and I lifted the machine in a not-too-skillful manner. The pain in the lower back was quick and debilitating.
The back issue carried on for months, and for a bit, I was unable to ride, as the torment running down my leg was so intense, that I could not concentrate. Eventually, I had an epidural to help take down some of the swelling around the disc pinching the nerve. The doctor warned of surgery during the next winter, but even before this procedure, I had begun to turn up the Core movements I was doing at the gym.
A year later I am still pain-free and tenacious about the Core parts of the daily gym routine. Crunches, leg lifts, simple stretching, and abdominal presses all will combine to slowly, but surely strengthen your Core.
A quick search will bring you to several well-thought-out sites that illustrate many of these exercises.
Make sure you have Core Beliefs and I promise a better time on your motorcycle and your life.