Stretching Routines

I'm curious if anyone has pre- and/or post-cycling stretching routines they follow. I try to do some basic stretches to avoid muscle tightness, but I'm not sure it's enough: I became friends with a masseuse recently and she told me that cyclists are her favorite clients because of the "interesting" problems they come to her with. In particular, she noted that the IT band commonly gives cyclists problems because it is a difficult (and lesser-known) tendon to stretch.

Anyway, some quick Googling found an article such as this one at roadcycling.com and the set of stretches looks fairly complete. Does anyone have any other suggested stretches or exercises to share? Is there a physical therapist in the house that wants to chime in? :)

Thanks!

Tags: injuries, muscles, stretching

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Permalink Reply by Jasonk on July 21, 2009 at 2:26pm

What about yoga? Obviously not every time after you go for a ride or anything, but maybe once or twice a week. Not sure if you belong to a gym or not, but most gyms offer free classes which can be a pretty good intro to it. Or drop in on a studio class where the going rate is about $16-18 for 1.5-1.75 hours.

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Permalink Reply by Smash on July 21, 2009 at 9:22pm

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been curious about yoga but am reluctant to commit to it because of the time and the cost: I've already got some weekly commitments and am hesitant to add more.

Do you do it? I know there's a lot of different "styles," I'm curious if any of them are more suited than others for cyclists.

Jasonk said:

What about yoga? Obviously not every time after you go for a ride or anything, but maybe once or twice a week. Not sure if you belong to a gym or not, but most gyms offer free classes which can be a pretty good intro to it. Or drop in on a studio class where the going rate is about $16-18 for 1.5-1.75 hours.

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Permalink Reply by cutifly on July 21, 2009 at 10:31pm

Yoga is bad, all the worst dictators practiced it everyday and all it did was make them meaner and more angry then the day before. If you ask me it is better to east sugar all day while watching TV and then take an intense workout and afterward of course Twinkie and Dr. Pepper to fuel back up for a round of video games and then of course a nap. That will make you a better person, I assure you.

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Permalink Reply by Jasonk on July 22, 2009 at 12:22pm

No problem. I've practiced yoga on and off for about 2 years or so, although I've been in an off period for too long at this point... = ( I've been to Yoga Now and Moksha.
I'm not sure about a specific type of yoga that would be more geared towards cyclists, but I'm sure any of them would be beneficial as they all incorporate stretching, strength, breathing, focus, etc.
Studios have intro classes which will show you the basics, and if they bore you, maybe try a Vinyasa or Ashtanga class - they're a lot more difficult. There's pretty much no attitude in the classes and most instructors will move around the room to help you get into the pose or give suggestions.
If you're wary about the cost, maybe see if a friend can get you a couple day/week pass to their gym to go and check it out.

Smash said:

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been curious about yoga but am reluctant to commit to it because of the time and the cost: I've already got some weekly commitments and am hesitant to add more.

Do you do it? I know there's a lot of different "styles," I'm curious if any of them are more suited than others for cyclists.

Jasonk said:
What about yoga? Obviously not every time after you go for a ride or anything, but maybe once or twice a week. Not sure if you belong to a gym or not, but most gyms offer free classes which can be a pretty good intro to it. Or drop in on a studio class where the going rate is about $16-18 for 1.5-1.75 hours.

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Permalink Reply by Ethan Spotts on July 22, 2009 at 1:36pm

Here's a great book which includes stretching routines for biking...I highly recommend it. The biking stretches are really good. Plus, the book covers tons of other routines for all activities and needs.

http://books.google.com/books?id=y5FKsFUbk9YC&dq=stretching+boo...

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Permalink Reply by Barbra Mann on July 25, 2009 at 12:13am

I vote for yoga...it's not just for biking, your body will thank you...and more...

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Permalink Reply by Smash on October 17, 2009 at 5:51pm

Thought I'd just bring some closure to this thread in case anyone finds it in the future. I started yoga about 2-3 months ago after experiencing growing foot-pain problems (probably plantar fascitis but I never got it checked out). I go to a school in Milwaukee called Riverwest Yogashala. They teach Iyengar yoga, which seems particularly well-suited for accommodating injuries and/or specific limitations. It's also not intended to be a hard workout like some of the power yoga systems: although it definitely takes effort and requires some recovery time, it's not so intense that it can't fit into an existing exercise schedule.

As for the results, the foot pain went away completely after two weeks (!) and my hamstrings have gotten much better too: I've raised all my saddles about 1-2 inches so far and expect to raise them more. It's also helped a lot with my posture on the bike and in the office chair.

So thanks all for the recommendations, and I highly recommend that other cyclists give it a shot as well. It's well-worth the time and expense, as it helps in all aspects of life and not just cycling!