Stretch Therapy for Cyclists

Bike riding is a great way to get in some exercise and enjoy the beautiful weather. In our grid locked world, it also holds an important place in helping transport people easily around cities. Cycling is a good low-impact activity, but it also consists of repetitive motions which can cause tightness and muscle soreness and lead to a limited range of motion.

Muscle Soreness and Cycling

When cycling, the  lower body is in motion, with the hip, knee and ankle joints moving through their range of motion and muscle groups are contracting. However, as Average Joe Cyclist points out, the joints are not moving through their full range of motion. This causes more strain on the muscles that are performing the contraction, because the energy produced by the contraction is distributed in a shorter range. This can cause some of the soreness that cyclists feel after a ride.

Why Should Cyclists Stretch

Stretching helps cyclists to be more efficient. Through stretching, flexibility can be increased, and this leads to better range of motion in joints. As described by BikeRadar, the more you can flex your hip, knee, and ankle joints, the more efficient your cycling will be. Increased flexibility will also reduce resistance that is felt when pedalling and improve the overall comfort of a bike ride. Incorporating stretching also helps to avoid injury. As stated by Active.com, most cycling injuries start out due to tight muscles. Tendonitis, a common cycling injury, can be in part avoided by having good flexibility.

Which Muscles should Cyclists Stretch?

An area that should be targeted by cyclists is the muscle groups that contract during pedaling. Because you never reach full leg extension during pedaling, the hamstrings are in constant contraction. Increasing hamstring flexibility can help relieve the hamstring and lower back pain that is a result of the lack of extension. The glutes and quads help to generate the power during hills and can often become fatigued and tight. The lower back and core, which help maintain balance and generate power are also areas of soreness and pain. The calves are another important area, as flexibility in the calves helps to prevent cramping and allow for a good range of motion through the ankle to help improve power generation from the feet. If the iliotibial band (IT Band) is tight it can cause inflammation and pain due to it rubbing against the knee during the repetitive motion of pedalling. The hip flexors are involved in the pedalling motion and increased flexibility can help diminish pain and fatigue in this area.

 Assisted Stretching for Cyclists

Attending a stretch therapy session can be beneficial for cyclists. Stretch therapists can help with advanced stretching techniques, and help cyclists reach their full stretch. Attending a session can also help dedicate specific time to stretching, to help focus attention on achieving high quality stretches. It can also bring routine to stretching with the consistency helping to improve flexibility.

Sources:

http://www.activecoach.co.uk/stretches-4-cyclists/

https://averagejoecyclist.com/why-stretching-is-important-for-cyclists/

https://www.active.com/cycling/articles/why-stretching-makes-you-ride-faster-and-farther

https://blog.mapmyrun.com/6-stretches-every-cyclist-should-do/