Cycling is one of the most popular physical activities in the world. Nations worldwide are raising awareness of the importance of changing cars for bikes, and it’s expected that in the future even more people will become everyday cyclists. And for this reason, it’s also important that anyone who rides a bike knows how crucial stretching is.
Even though cycling is a low-impact activity if done on a regular basis it requires some stretching to prevent any tightness or pain. Below you will find the 4 best stretches that will help prevent any cycling injuries but also improve your flexibility.
Lunge and Reach
If you’re experiencing any tension on the front side of your hips or any kind of tightness in core muscles then this is the stretch you need.
Pain around these areas is often caused by aggressive riding styles, but it’s not something that can’t be fixed. All you need to do is lunge your leg forward while the knee of the other leg is on the ground.
Make sure to keep your back straight as much as possible while you twist your torso in the opposite direction from the knee that’s on the ground.
Revolved Belly Pose
Those people who ride a bike almost every day have at some point felt pain or discomfort in their lower back. Revolved belly pose is a perfect stretch for this issue as it helps relieve tension in the lumbar spine. For this stretch, the cyclists need to be on their backs with both knees bent. After stretching the arms to both sides, the cyclists need to bring the knees to the chest. The stretching begins when you try to lower your knees to one and then to the other side.
Downward-Facing Dog
One of the basic yoga positions is also a great way to stretch before or after cycling. The Downward-facing dog is known in the world of health and fitness as one of the best exercises for stretching the core and the lower back, the two areas that suffer the greatest amount of impact when we cycle. For those who are not familiar with this stretching position, it begins while you’re on your hands and knees. You should slowly strengthen your legs from your hips while the hand remains in the same position. In the ideal downward-facing dog position the heels are all the way down on the ground and the spine is as straight as possible.
Doorway Stretch
Most cyclists never get a full leg extension when they ride a bike and for this reason, their lower back hurts, and their hamstrings lose their flexibility. This can be changed with a quick 10 to 15 min stretch exercise called Doorway stretch. You should sit in your doorway and place your back all the way to one side of the doorframe and one leg should be flat on the ground. The other leg should be lifted so that it touches the door frame. Hold this position for 20 seconds for each leg and repeat 3 times.