The Top 5 Trail-Side Stretches for Mountain Bikers.
Back aches on the way up Stromlo? Hip or knee pain on the way down? Looking for an excuse to purchase an e-bike ? This article is for you, save your money! Stretch some more! You’re too young for that e-bike anyway! Here’s 5 physio endorsed stretches for mountain bikers while you’re out on the trails.
Based on what I see in the clinic, and from my own experience, I’ve devised a quick stretching program that can be performed in the carpark, at the top of the hill, or in preparation at home. To demonstrate this make things interesting, and show their convenience I’ll perform them on the trail, while out for a ride.
Quadricep / Hip flexor stretch
Seems obvious, but often overlooked as an effective stretch for managing hip pain, knee pain and even lower back pain if done correctly. Both muscle groups can influence the resting position of your lumbar spine as pictured here. Often this is more prevalent in cyclists because we exercise these muscles while in shortened positions (e.g being seated in a bike saddle).
Tips:
A bike saddle is perfect for propping up your foot on to really engage the stretch as shown, we recommend 45 second holds, on each side, actively pushing the stretch.
To stretch your hip flexors, keep your knee bent while extending your hip as pictured.
Glute stretches for mountain bikers
Another effective stretch for managing lumbar tightness, being able to bend at the hip better enables your lumbar spine to remain in a stable and relatively straight position while cycling. Here using the saddle again is a great way to perform while on the trail.
Tips:
The glutes are a large group of muscles and often require a few variations to stretch them all , as you can see pictured, rotating your torso towards the stretched leg can alter the intensity of the stretch and the area of which is being targeted. In each position, hold for 45 seconds, and bend your back forward to increase the intensity.
Lumbar / sciatic nerve stretches for mountain bikers
Did you know you can stretch your sciatic nerve? It lies deep within muscular tissue of your glute and hamstrings as it branches off each leg. And this is how we stretch it, with a slight twist involving your foot and lower back.
As pictured assume a hamstring stretch position, now remember, “ head down, toe down, head up , toe up”. With this movement , we are tensioning and “flossing” the sciatic nerve from your toe to the back of your hip. This is often used to release nerves from compression within the muscle tissue as it travels down the leg.
Tips:
How bent forward your back is and extended your knee remains during the stretch will greatly affect the overall intensity of the stretch. You should feel it from the back of your thigh all the way down to your foot if done correctly. Hold in each position for 5 seconds, repeat 15 times on each leg.
Related Article: Bike Position: How to improve your neck, shoulders, wrists and body position on your bike
Chest stretches
Who would have thought that mountain biking does put us in some tricky sustained positions. For example, reaching forward on the handlebars does shorten your chest muscles, this can lead to mid back tightness while riding. To manage this, stretches through a doorway, or in our case a tree can help.
Chest tightness is something we often see in shoulder injuries, neck and midback tightness. The pec muscles play a huge role in dictating your posture, altering your head, neck and thoracic position. Forward positions will quickly fatigue your neck and mid back muscles as they are working hard to keep the head up on your shoulders.
Tips:
To make the most out of the stretch have the upper arm slightly more than 90* hold for 30 seconds and repeat twice on each arm. You should feel a stretch going across your chest and armpit int your upper arm.
Latissimus Dorsi Stretch
Another overlooked muscle that often tightens up during climbing and descending, this muscle is often used to help when holding on and keeping our weight forward. In the clinic we often see it contribute to shoulder pain, and thoracic stiffness.
Tips:
Stretching this can be done in a variety of ways. Pictured here, you’re looking for a stretch behind your shoulder and across the ribs below the armpit.
There you have it! Keep these up during the week and out on your rides and you’re on your way to success. Keep in mind, the equipment and bike setup can be contributing factor if you’re experiencing pain on the bike. An overly long stem, or a seat post that is too short can put the rider in more compromising positions for their body. Its important to consider this as well if you’re having ongoing discomfort and little success with an exercise program. Simple adjustments to the bike setup can make a huge difference. If this is the case, and you’re unsure of the bike setup is affecting your riding I recommend booking in with us for bike fit.
I expect to see you on top of the climb, or on the side of the track trying these out and riding in more comfort. Happy trails!
References:
https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/sizing-and-fit/mountain-bike-sizing-what-size-bike-do-i-need
