STRETCHING AND WORKOUTS FOR CYCLISTS

In our last lesson, we addressed the basic principles of good quality recovery. Today we will go through the stretching exercises every cyclist should know and use.

STRETCHING PRINCIPLES

• We always stretch after every training session
• Exercise lying on a mat on the floor
• Stay in every position for ten to fifteen seconds
• Repeat every exercise three times
• Watch out for pain
• Exercise the whole body

10 BASIC EXERCISES

Stretching our calves

We lean against a wall, resting on our forearms. Step forward with one leg and leave the other one stretched behind. Both our feet are pointing forward with the soles, including the heels, fully on the floor. We push the knee of our front leg towards the wall. We should feel tension in the other calf.

Hamstring stretch

We stand up and stretch one leg forward onto an elevated pad. The height should be chosen according to our physical abilities. We lean forward with our back completely straight and try to touch the tip of our toes while keeping our legs straight. The toes of the leg we are standing on are pointing forward. We should feel the tension in our hamstrings, or sometimes even at the back of our knee.

Stretching our inner thighs

While sitting on the floor, we part our legs but keep our feet touching each other all the time. We grip our ankles and pull our upper body forward towards the floor. We place our elbows on our knees. We push our knees towards the floor, keeping our back straight. We should feel the tension in the inner thighs and groin.

Quadriceps stretch

We stand up and lean slightly with one of our hands against the wall. We bend one leg until the heel touches our thighs. We bend the other leg slightly and pull the heel towards our thighs even more. We keep our knees next to each other. We should feel the tension in our quadriceps.

Hip flexor stretch

We do a lunge and shift one leg backwards. Our knee and shin should be touching the floor. Our other knee should be at a 90-degree angle. We place one hand on that knee and lift the other one. We push our thigh and hip downwards and slightly forward. We should feel the stretch especially in our groin.

Spine twist

We lie on our back and stretch our legs. We then bend one knee, pull it to our chest and push it slowly down in a rotation with the help of our hand. We keep our head, shoulders, and elbows on the floor all the time. We will feel tension in our loins, buttocks, or chest.

Buttock stretch

We lie down, lift up our left leg, and place our left ankle on our right knee. We lift our right leg with the help of our arms while holding it by the back of the knee. Our left hand should push outwards and the right one keeps pulling towards our body. The back is straight and our head extended. We should feel the tension around our buttocks.

Lumbar erector stretch

We lie on our back and place our arms along our body. We lift both legs, support our body with our arms, and touch the floor with our tiptoes. We try to touch the floor with our knees. We should feel the tension in our backs and lumbar area.

Lateral femoral ligament stretch

While standing, we cross our left leg behind the right one. We bend the right one slightly at the knee, and bend over towards our left foot. To increase the stretch, we tilt the foot leaving the inner side on the floor and twist our left hip slightly forward. We should feel the tension in the outer part of our thighs.

Neck stretch

We sit down comfortably. We place our right hand on our left ear and pull our head to the side. Our other arm is stretched out as if resting on something invisible. We should feel the tension in our upper trapezius.

Would you like to learn how to effectively stretch after a ride or how to improve your physical condition? Use the recovery services at our Alltraining Centre.