For all my cyclists out there, today’s coaching is for you.
You all know you’re supposed to do something after cycling to counteract that 1 position you’ve been stuck in for the last couple of hours, but your typical routine of stretching your quad and touching your toes isn’t going to cut it. Lucky for you, I’m going to show you two quick stretches to counteract the repercussions of riding that bike.
AREAS OF THE BODY TO FOCUS ON
The two areas of the body that need the most attention post-ride are the thoracic spine and the hips. These two areas take a beating.
The thoracic spine is essentially completely still throughout the duration of your ride. Your body is always adapting to what we put it through so when you’re in this curled position for a prolonged period of time, your body adjusts to what it thinks is its new normal.
When riding, your hips are going through this receptive motion of up and down and up and down. The exercise I’ll show you today will counteract that by introducing rotating and lateral movement. Since cycling takes place moving the hips in this direction, we need make sure we’re taking our hips in all the other directions they’re capable of so we don’t lose these abilities. This is crucial for a healthy functioning hip.
BENEFITS OF TODAY’S EXERCISES
In order to counteract the effects, we need to start moving these areas in their greatest pain free range of motion to ensure the following happens:
Decrease muscular stiffness
Promote the recovery process by increasing blood flow to the areas
Ensure that we don’t lose any range of motion after spending time doing the same motion or position for an extended period of time
No equipment is needed so there’s no excuse NOT to get these in right before your next ride.
HOW TO PROGRAM THIS
After your next ride, do 5 reps each way for the thoracic flexion and extension exercise, and 5 reps each side, each way for the side lying hip CAR to make sure your body is ready to keep riding.
BULLETPROOF YOUR BODY
For even more of my favorite mobility exercises to bulletproof your body, click the link below where you can get my 3 must-have mobility moves for free. Once you try them, you’ll see why they’re my all-time favorite.
ABOUT COACH MATT PIPPIN
Matt is a Strength and Mobility Coach with over 15 years experience in his field and has coached over a thousand professional, collegiate and everyday athletes with the goal to help them move, feel and perform at their highest level. He's incredibly passionate about bringing simple and effective online mobility training programs to everyone who wants to take control of their self care and make lasting change. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Certifications:
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Level 3: Fascial Stretch Specialist
Level 1: Institute of Motion Health Coach
Certified FRC Mobility Specialist (FRCms)
Level 1 Kinstretch Instructor
Weck Method Qualified