Health Requirements of a Race Car Driver
Compared to other athletes, F1 car drivers are seated in their vehicles the entire time that they compete. You do not see them running in the field and sweating profusely similar to football players. But if you think that they do not need to train or exercise to stay physically fit, then you are so wrong. As it happens, driving at two hundred miles per hour requires great power to stay glued to the seat and not to be catapulted out of the vehicle.
Did you know that when the car is running at high-speed, stepping on the brakes require a lot of effort? On sharp corners, most drivers would feel like they are pushing three hundred pounds down when in fact, they are just working on the pedal. Due to the great need for force, most of them train to strengthen their quads. These refer to the four muscles found on the front of the thigh. They work together to help extend the knees and flex the hip. Now, the exercises usually involved are lunges and squats. For example, you stand straight against the wall then slowly bend your knees until they are at a forty-five degree angle. You will need to count from one to five for each up and down movements.
Aside from that, car racers are required to have cardiovascular conditions similar to that of runners and cyclists. An in-car camera showed that heart rates of drivers inside the cockpit go as fast as one hundred ninety-six beats per minute (BMP). Under normal circumstances, they should have been having a heart attack. That is why they must indulge in intense workouts such as running, bicycling, and cross training for healthier hearts.
Drivers for the sport of car racing need to have excellent hand and arm strength as well. Controlling the wheel of a race car is no joke, after all. Imagine having to steady it when the vehicle is going faster than a jet. A little flick on the wrist and the automobile can go swerving in all direction at top speed. With that said, one of the ways to achieve powerful arms is to exercise using a medicine ball, some weights, and massage rings.
Lastly, racers need to get accustomed to high temperature as well. That is because the weather inside the cockpit can be similar to a hot summer day in the desert. They can achieve this by working out without the aid of an air conditioner. Well, talk about a combustible experience, right?