I hate exercising. It takes time, it hurts and it’s boring. But thinking about the consequences makes me put on those running shoes and like a hamster, step on the treadmill and run day after day. But losing and maintaining weight and keeping fit are lifetime goals that require dedication and patience to achieve.  Although the key to accomplishing these goals is relatively simple, that is, all that it takes is proper exercise and a well balanced diet. But, as you know, “simple” is not the same thing as “easy”. Moreover, the real challenge lies in your ability to maintain your newly gained and hard-won physically fit physique.

Fortunately, with the advent of the Trikke cambering vehicle, getting into shape and maintaining a healthy body has never been easier or more exciting. And if you love getting out and enjoying the outdoors, adding the Trikke scooter to your list of activities would prove to be another adventure!

As a human powered vehicle or HPV, your Trikke requires your continuous body movement in order to launch it and keep it going. The Trikke is actually easier to learn than a bicycle, which is a huge relief for some of us out-of-shape over 20-somethings

After your initial lessons to get you comfortable on your new Trikke, you can start an outdoor adventure program that can also serve as a weight loss and fitness regimen by following these five easy steps:

1. Get your Trikke scooter moving and start your workout. Alternatively push and pull the handlebars to generate a slow forward movement. To maintain the momentum, you will continuously lean and push the handlebars towards the right, then left. For beginners, propelling the Trikke may take time and practice.

Regardless of whether you can propel your Trikke scooter on your first try or after several attempts, the continuous arm thrusts required to move your Trikke forward gives your arm and shoulder muscles a great workout. But the benefits are not limited to just your arms and shoulders.

2. Start cruising on your Trikke scooter and tone your core muscles. To start cruising, you need to twist your upper body in a series of “S” turns while slightly leaning your weight into the inside of the turn. This will cause a continuous and rhythmic contraction of your core muscles, namely your abs, back and hip muscles. Over time, with regular Trikke training, these muscles will appear well-defined and toned. Now, that’s hot!
3. Accelerate your Trikke, burn fat and lose weight. You will learn to regulate your speed while cruising along on your Trikke by using different groups of muscles. To achieve maximum speed, you have to start moving your upper and lower body synchronously by applying a little weight or kick on your right foot when turning left and vice versa upon reaching what many Trikke riders term as the “sweet spot.”

In order to gain speed, more muscles need to contract, hence more energy will be needed causing more fats to be burned to supply the needed energy. In fact, studies have estimated that riding the Trikke at a speed of 15 km/hr will burn approximately 500 Kcal per hour. Cruising at a faster rate of 17.5 km/hr will burn up to 700 kcal per hour. And upon reaching the maximum speed, you will end up burning more than 1000 kcal per hour. This is an effective, not to mention, fun way for you to achieve weight loss while enjoying the exhilaration of speeding around your neighborhood on your Trikke or while Trikke-ing along while on vacation to see the local sites better.

4. Just like anything, the more you ride your Trikke, the better you will get at it. As they say “Practice Trikke-ing makes perfect Trikke-ing.” (Just kidding, “they” said some other thing.) As you continue Trikke-ing, you will learn to tone specific parts of your body. And as you become proficient on your Trikke, you will learn to control the degree of your body movement while cruising along. If you want to work specific muscle groups, you can always increase or decrease the twisting of your body while speeding along on your Trikke.

Furthermore, adjusting the height of the handlebars on your Trikke will also help work different muscle groups. On one hand, raising the Trikke handlebars will result in greater lower body workouts. The higher you raise your handlebar, the easier it is to perform the right and left rocking motion on the front wheel. This will make your lower body work more during the push off. On the other hand, the lower the handlebars on your Trikke are positioned, the more you have to bend and thrust your arms into the handlebars. This will give your upper body more of a workout.

5. Trikke-ing uphill can enhance your cardiopulmonary workout. One of the most difficult things to accomplish in Trikke-ing is propelling your Trikke scooter up a steep incline. Only advanced riders can master this because of its level of difficulty. Riding against gravity will require more power, and the higher the hill you need to climb, the more difficult your progress will become.

Since muscle contraction through coordinated body movements is the driving force behind the forward motion of your Trikke scooter, more power translates to more muscles contracting. This in turn requires more blood flow to the working muscles, faster heart contraction to propel the blood and faster respiration to obtain oxygen for the working muscles – a true cardiopulmonary workout all the way.

Beginning your Trikke training program will make exercising a whole new different experience. If you don’t have any exercise program, a Trikke-centered one could enhance your muscle strength and endurance, strengthen your heart and respiratory muscles, improve your circulation, help reduce your weight and give you a fit body, and improve your overall well-being. Exercising need not be boring anymore.

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So you have purchased a new Trikke, but you’re just not 100% sure how to ride it. Stop fretting. The Trikke is easier to ride than a bike. Here are five easy steps to help get started on your own Trikke way.

But, first let’s talk about precautions. With any sport you need to be safety-conscious and it’s no different with Trikke-ing. So grab a well-fitting helmet, elbow and knee pads and a pair of comfortable gloves. Use proper footwear and make sure your laces are tied. Once you have all of these things in place, take a moment to inspect your vehicle. Make sure the handlebar’s quick release is tightly locked and the dual rear brakes are functioning properly. Don’t ride in wet weather and avoid puddles. Trikke wheels become very slippery when wet.

Now it is time to pick a location. Since you are new to Trikke-ing, it is best to start on straight, smooth and wide paved area. Look for someplace that has little or no bumps or inclines. Bumps and Trikke-ing are never a good combination. The front wheel can snag and result in total loss of control or even worse, throw both the rider and vehicle heels over head. Don’t let that scare you, but this is a warning to be careful and think sensibly when learning to ride. Once you get more comfortable on your Trikke you can jump those pesky little bumps using a low hop maneuver. This is a more advanced technique done by pulling the handlebars upward then slightly pushing the body forward. Don’t worry. You’ll get there. Promise.

Remember practice makes perfect. The more time you spend on level ground mastering the Trikke, the quicker you can add more advanced moves. So don’t just jump on your Trikke and fly down a hill. The Trikke could get going to fast and then you won’t be able to control it.

Another thing to think about when choosing your practice location is distraction. Pick a spot free of pedestrians and traffic. The last thing we want is for you or someone else to get hurt. This is about fun, not stitches.

Now that the basics are over, you’re ready to start. Most people can get a firm grasp on the Trikke in less than an hour. So let’s get started.

1. Place both feet securely on the Trikke foot platforms, and then grasp the handlebars firmly with both hands. Use the hand brakes to keep yourself from rolling until you are ready to move. Stand up straight and get comfortable on the Trikke. Test the extent to which you can rock the steering column left and right. How’s that feel? Good? Great. Let’s move on.
2. Weight distribution. This is important to prevent you from falling backwards and will ensure sufficient traction on the front wheel. Your weight should be distributed evenly between the front and rear wheels of your Trikke scooter, with your weight centered on the balls of your feet and toes.
3. Propel the Trikke Scooter. With your shoulders parallel to the handlebars, quickly and continuously rotate the handlebars from right to left to generate a slow forward movement. Once in motion, lean and push the handlebars towards the right then left continuously to increase your speed. Leaning to one side will naturally cause the weight of your upper body to move very slightly in the same direction. This technique is fondly identified as the rock (pushing on the handlebars) and roll (rotating the handlebars). As you begin to add the rocking motion and as your Trikke speed increases, the degree of your rotations should diminish. Continue practicing this technique until you establish a comfortable rhythm. Don’t exaggerate this or you could fall. The Trikke scooter is designed to follow your body motions, so as long the steering column remains parallel to the center of your chest, there is no danger of falling off your Trikke.
4. Here’s where the fun starts: further accelerating the Trikke via weight transfer once the “sweet spot” is felt. The “sweet spot” is the part of your turn where most of your force is generated. Simply put, it’s when you feel the outside wheel (your left rear wheel during a right hand turn) drift away from you as you rock your Trikke to the opposite side. This feeling comes and goes during your run. If you apply a little weight or kick on the opposite foot of the direction you’re turning, then your acceleration will become more rapid. It’s claimed that the vehicle can reach speeds of up to 18+ mph on flat ground.
5. Stop the Trikke via proper braking techniques. Learning how to stop and slow down is essential is establishing control. Since the Trikke cambering vehicle contains brakes on both rear wheels, it is imperative that both brakes are applied evenly at the same time. Remember not to lean on the handlebars when braking.

It takes practice and determination to master any sport. Don’t rush. Remember patience is a virtue and the same goes for this. Move only to the more advanced Trikke-ing techniques once you have mastered the basic ones.

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