Recovery sessions
Boost your performance on the bike by stretching your hard-working muscles
EXERCISE 01 GLUTE STRETCH SPORTS THERAPIST
Jamie Webb, Brighton Sports Therapy
BENEFITS
Cycling gives you tight hamstrings. How does that impact potential overuse injuries? Firstly, tension in the hamstrings affects the sciatic nerve, which can affect tension in the calves and into the plantar fascia, increasing the risk of injury in these areas. What do you need to do to pedal a bike? Hip extension. As a result, the glutes become fatigued and look for help to action that hip extension. In short, glutes do hip extension.
STRETCH
Sit on the floor with the right leg outstretched. Place your left foot flat on the floor outside the right knee. Hug your left knee into the body with your right arm and twist your upper body to the left. If needed, put your left hand on the floor behind you to help you sit up straight. Hold at least 30secs then repeat on other leg.
EXERCISE 02 INDIAN ROTATION SPORTS THERAPIST
Jamie Webb, Brighton Sports Therapy
BENEFITS
The static posture of the thoracic spine – the middle section of your spine – for long periods on the bike has a lot to answer for. This slightly awkwardlooking pose eases any pains.
STRETCH
Sit on a stool facing forward with arms across your chest. Rotate your torso as far as you can to one side. Then add a side bend, hold 10secs. Lift out of the side bend and try to rotate further. You should notice you can now see further behind you. Repeat the side bend to stretch further. Repeat for other side.
EXERCISE 03 HALF MOON SPORTS THERAPIST
Jamie Webb, Brighton Sports Therapy
BENEFITS
This stretches the obliques and the muscles above (intercostals) and below (gluteus medius), and possibly even the large back muscles (latissimus dorsi). The obliques can tighten to compensate for weak quads. This is usually because of endless miles on the bike.
STRETCH
Try this lateral bend before and after a ride. Stand, feet together or hip width apart, with arms overhead and hands together then bend over to one side to stretch down the opposite side. Hold 5-10secs and repeat two or three times on each side.
EXERCISE 04 LEG PIT SPORTS THERAPIST
Jamie Webb, Brighton Sports Therapy
BENEFITS
The ‘gap’ between your quads and adductors houses the femoral nerve, which elicits sensations in the knee. If we can make this nerve feel ‘happier’ then you’ll feel less knee pain.
STRETCH
Stand side on to a chair and put your right foot on it. Rotate this leg forwards so your inside ankle bone contacts the chair. Turn your left foot out 45 degrees, bend your left knee and lean away from the outstretched leg with your hands on the left thigh to feel a stretch along the inside of the right thigh. Hold at least 30secs. Repeat other side.
“The obliques can tight en to compensate for weak quads, usually due to endless miles riding”