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7 Reasons Why You Should Stretch Post-Ride
biking tips
May 15, 2019

7 Reasons Why You Should Stretch Post-Ride

woman doing yoga

A few weeks ago, I posted this blog on 5 Yoga Moves to Improve your Cycling. And although some people may not be so keen on yoga, the long-term benefits of stretching can’t be ignored.

While some studies show that stretching may rob you of power, the overall benefits of a proper stretching routine outweigh its short-term deficits. Even though power training appears to have long-term gains, stretching and flexibility go beyond the merely physical. It’s not just about “not being stiff” anymore.

In my blog post, I looked at the major muscle groups that needed to be activated consistently for a recreational cyclist. Cycling is a linear exercise, and the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes suffer the most: once activated, they pull on weaker muscles in the back. This can lead to adaptive muscle shortening and leave your body out of balance.

So stretching after a ride (when the muscles are already warm) is key: working those inactive muscle groups. But if you give yourself one-week of 10-minute stretching per day, you’ll see these changes:

INCREASING GENERAL FLEXIBILITY

If you engage in one primary physical activity without stimulating other muscle groups, you only engage those muscles involved in the activity. Whether running, skiing, or canoeing, one group of muscles is firing more than the others. Stretching helps you remain globally flexible. As a result, you can also participate in other activities. So if you are running after a child, playing golf with friends or bowling with the boys, you won’t have that embarrassing moment when you “pull a muscle.”

INCREASING RANGE OF MOTION

Ever try to reach your car keys that have fallen behind the kitchen counter? If you’re like most people, you’re so close but you can’t reach them. Or how about the toy your niece dropped underneath the couch? Daily stretching increases your range of motion so that you can grab that toy and be a hero. It also helps you scratch your own back in a spot you could never get to. You can also do all kinds of party tricks. It also allows you to be more flexible if you’re ever involved in an avalanche. Yep, it could happen.

INCREASING SLEEP

Exercise, in general, is considered good sleep therapy. Some recent studies show that poor sleep patterns typically result from low physical activity levels. Even if you aren’t getting big rides in per week (or can’t, because you have a life – like the rest of us) stretching might be a great substitute. If you have trouble sleeping and can’t seem to engage in intense exercise, try 10-20 minutes of stretching right before you go to bed. It’s better than taking pharmaceutical drugs or any intense sleep-aid. Studies seem to think it is the measured breathing – or meditation – that helps a body get calm before turning in for the night.

INCREASES BODILY BLOOD FLOW

Consider this: once you come back from your big ride, you stop. You don’t stretch. All of that torn muscle is now lying dormant in your legs and back. According to studies on circulation, you are increasing blood flow while enhancing protein synthesis and the regeneration of muscle cells. As this Livestrong article demonstrates, good circulation also benefits your skin, your brain, and other organs.

IMPROVES POSTURE

Cycling and sitting are not similar activities. However, both cause similar muscular imbalances: rounded-forward posture, rigid upper back, and tight hips as this article from The Globe and Mail suggests. Stretching helps activate opposing muscle groups, strengthening them and reinforcing your core. This helps with general posture and helps with overall balance as well.

RELIEVES BACK PAIN

Most of the discomfort we feel (as cyclists) come from activated muscles pulling on other inactivated muscle groups. Cycling Weekly has written an excellent article explaining the culprits behind back pain in the bicycling community. The main offender isn’t an improper bike fit but over-extended periods of static flexion (think when you’re in the drops). This prolonged position weakens the multifidus muscles in the spine. The same muscles you need to stabilize your spine when you’re upright.

Engaging your core and activating key muscles in the center of your body will help you reactivate these spine stabilizers. They will help you walk tall and reduce the amount of back pain

DESTRESS / MINIMIZE TENSION HEADACHES

As we mentioned earlier, all of these imbalanced muscles are attached. They are pulling in various ways on other muscles all the way up through your spine, into your shoulders and neck, and eventually in your head. Tension headaches can be relieved with stretches out the shoulders, neck, and spine. We all know that exercise is good for your head. But if stretching gets you ready for bed and decreases stress hormone at the same time, then I’ll bring my own yoga mat!

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