Cycling is one of the safest activities that we can perform regularly. Cycling is a low-impact activity with negligible to zero risks involved. Likewise, cycling must not be painful. And if you are experiencing pain, quick fixes like altering the saddle height, or replacing gear should work.
Here are the most common pains faced by cyclists, what causes them, and their cures:
Forearm strain
After a solid cycling journey, you might have felt heaviness, coupled with a numbing effect. You may also experience a tingling effect when you try to unclench your fists.
Causes:
The distribution of body weight is unbalanced.
Lack of movement for fingers.
Cure:
Look at your riding position. If you are bending forward more than normal, your body weight falls on your wrists.
In the same way, if your saddle’s nose is tilted downwards, your forearms take the brunt.
So, get your saddle leveled and try for a more upright position.
Furthermore, stretch your wrists and forearms before and after your cycling session. During other days, some resistance training with a dumbbell or bands might be of great help.
Lower back pain
Pain in the lower back is common among the cycling community. The primary reason for the same being wrong posture.
Causes:
Wrong posture.
Lack of core stability.
Inadequate flexibility.
Cure:
Postural changes are a must when you regularly face lower back pain. If you are riding with a bad posture for long periods, the pain aggravates.
After posture correction, alter your cycling schedule by adding regular breaks in between.
And outside cycling, stretching shall always help in adding flexibility to the lower back. For gym exercises — rows, deadlifts, shrugs are all great for building a strong lower back.
Neck pain
Cyclists’ favorite pain or the most common one — the neck pain. Hyperextension of the neck is an unusual body movement. However, for cycling, this stretch is required to maintain a good posture. When the body doesn’t adapt well to this stretch, the surrounding muscles fatigue easily.
Causes:
Lack of flexibility.
Overstraining.
Cure:
Lift your handlebars higher and reduce the stretch needed while riding. Likewise, lowering the saddle or a shorter stem might also help you in getting to a better posture.
Moving on, you need to strengthen the neck and the trapezius muscles. Stretching can help in loosening the muscles, so before and after a ride, don’t forget to stretch. A foam roller can be of great help to relieve the muscles around the neck after a ride.
To strengthen the muscles, farmer carries are your best bet. They also help you with balance, stability, and core strength.
These are the three common pains regularly endured by cyclists. Along with the specified cures, a warmup and a cool-down routine are a must for overall health.
Before the ride, warming the muscles is vital. You can do this using static holds, dynamic stretches, and simple mobility exercises.
After the ride, cooling the body and reducing the tensions is important for recovery. 5-minute walk, simple stretches, foam rolling are great for cooling the body down.
Spoke Herd advices you to follow these tips sincerely to assist your cycling journey.
From less risk of injury to increased longevity, the benefits are many.
“The race is won by the rider who can suffer the most” – Eddy Merckx
