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My 5 min. Mobility Routine after Cycling

We love to cycle here at Ironhorse PT and Pilates, and so do our kids! (That's my 4 year old in her very 1st triathlon, how cool is that? I got to run to the finish line with her!). Her actual bike split was only 5 min 7sec. However, as adults, we generally spend many more hours in the saddle than that.

Training rides for Ironman 70.3 or 140.6 are usually between 2-6+ hours, ditto for century rides and can be more for events like Death Ride which require a lot of climbing, multiple day cycling events like Cycle Oregon, etc.  All that time in a "flexed" or bent over position, using the same muscles repetitively can lead to overuse injuries as well as muscle imbalances and decreased mobility.

Many cyclists sit on their bike for hours over the weekend, then sit in their cars to commute to work and then sit some more when they get to work for ~8 hours. And many never do anything to reverse the "flexed" position so they get progressively "set" in that position (think of the body as concrete waiting to harden and "motion is lotion" so you need to move in multiple planes and directions to not be stuck in flexion/bent over!) 

I'm currently training for the Mount Diablo Challenge so this idea of balancing my body and moving in multiple planes (especially extension -the opposite of being bent forward) is fresh in my mind. Even though the total ascent and descent is less than 2 hours, I feel pretty stiff getting off the bike. I want to mobilize my body and bring it back in balance! So I thought I'd share with you a video of my mobility routine when I get home after a ride.

 Here's an old video I did for stretches right off the bike that can be done anywhere(before you get into your car to sit some more): 



2 team members at Ironhorse PT and Pilates (Carrie and myself) both cycle so we use our firsthand experience to analyze an athlete on their bike when they're breaking down somewhere and having pain or other symptoms like numbness/tingling, etc. Certainly, having a proper bike fit to your body is really important but it can't accomodate or fix every issue you get on the bike. You also have to work on the body that you bring to the bike! That's where we come in. Hope these videos help you recover and feel better after your bike ride! If you need more help with back,neck, knee pain or other symptoms, then feel free to reach out to us via email: vliu@ironhorsept.com or carrie@ironhorsept.com or send an inquiry through our website: www.ironhorsept.com or call us at: 925-222-5446.