Cycling

Hey everyone!

We’re into May and it’s National Bicycle Month so I thought I’d put together another of our Sports Spotlight postings, where I feature a particular sport and how you can use it in your own exercise regimen. Today I’m talking about Cycling, better known as bike riding for us less competitive fitness enthusiasts. It’s a great form of exercise, and of course the SPINNING craze hasn’t faded one bit with classes jam packed all across the world. I’ll discuss what muscles are used, how your body adapts, how to train for better performance and what to watch out for regarding injuries and overuse.

Muscles Used

The most obvious muscles trained when riding a bike are the legs and calves (doh!) But when you’re climbing hills in a standing position you can get quite an upper body workout as well. Each arm will have to pull on the handlebars as the opposing leg presses the pedal down. You’ll recruit your biceps, forearms, shoulders, upper and lower back and require a timed coordination to create rhythm. Anyone who’s ridden up a steep hill knows just how hard, and how full body a workout this can be. And it goes without saying; cycling is an aerobic activity that can increase your cardiovascular conditioning.

Sports Performance

The benefits of cycling are directly proportionate to how difficult your ride is. Many people that cycle as a regular form of exercise will have massively overdeveloped legs that are disproportionate to their upper body, especially the tear drop shaped muscle on the inside of the knee. You can also substantially improve your conditioning and muscular endurance.

However most people don’t realize the potential injuries that cycling can cause…

1. Low and Upper Back/Neck – Due to the rounded back / leaned-over position you take when riding, many riders suffer from poor posture and low back pain. Bulging disks predominantly in the lower or cervical spine can occur, as well as nerve impingement and spinal misalignment issues. Cycling enthusiasts will tend to have forward shoulders, round backs, and major posture issues.

The fix is to make sure you include exercises like straight leg deadlifts, rear dumbbell flyes, kettlebell hip drives and reverse sitting. These will all help correct some of the muscular and spinal imbalances excessive riding may cause.

2. Knee Misalignment – Because pedaling targets more of the vastus medialis muscle (the tear drop), it may disrupt the natural balance of strength in the leg muscles that support the knee. Overdevelopment can excessively pull the knee in one direction and cause a condition that creates pain.

Including exercise such as squats, lunges, step ups and other leg exercises that work in a full range of motion will help to keep your legs strong and completely developed. Just remember to not cut the range short and use proper body mechanics.

Cycling is great, it’s fun, exciting, it provides great exercise and the entire family can do it together. While SPINNING is a very popular exercise, it’s easier than “real” riding. Why? Because you don’t have to balance the bike in a class like you do in the real world. It’s like using free weights vs. machines. Both forms will train the muscles, but real bike riding will use more brainpower, coordination, and generally, the scenery is better!

So what are you waiting for – get biking!

 

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