Bicycling is a great exercise: minimal stress on joints compared to jogging, great toner of leg muscles, good for circulation of blood – however, there are some things to consider if you bike frequently.

Our postures are so important in all body positions whether laying, sitting, or standing. On a bicycle, it is difficult to have good posture. Even if you are riding an expensive bike, you will invariably find yourself in a bent over position. This posture causes the head to be projected forward and the shoulders to be rounded. As a result, you could experience numbness and tingling in your arms and hands, neck strain, or back pain. Couple this with the fact that if you are riding competitively, you are continually turning your head from side to side to view your opponents. This puts further stress on your neck in addition to an already abnormal position.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP:

1). Stretch before you bike. The looser you are before you begin your ride, the longer you will likely be able to withstand that awkward body posture… before it starts to feel uncomfortable.

2). Take frequent breaks. The longer you are in a certain abnormal position, the more your body will try to tell you that it doesn’t like it. This often results in soreness, stiffness, or pain.

3). Stop before it gets painful. Many people think they are okay unless they experience pain, and even then, they often attempt to push through it. Your body adapts to the stresses put on it, but it can only do so for so long before pain develops. Unfortunately, this may mean that some damage has already taken place before pain signals that you are in trouble.

4). If you do bike competitively, use mirrors on your handle bars. This is so that you don’t have to keep turning your head from side to side which causes neck strain.

Enjoy the rest of the summer being outside. As always, we’re here to help if you are doing all the right things and your body still is not cooperating.

Happy biking!