Life & Work

The dark side of cycling

spin

PHOTO | FILE

Indoor cycling is addictive and nothing improves mood more than a long bike ride in Karura Forest.

But cycling, despite having a myriad of physical and mental health benefits from improving the heart, toning the lower abdomen to teaching you resilience, it has its dark side —it can wreak havoc on your posture.

Side Effects

* Headaches:
A rounded-forward posture, rigid upper back and tight hips, can result to tension headaches, low back pain. Poor posture can also cause loss of normal spinal curvature.

* Sweating
You can lose up to 200 milligrams of bone-building calcium in an hour as you soak your jersey on a hot ride. Put in long training miles each week you will deplete your body of so much calcium that it becomes harder to replace, especially as you age.

* Osteoarthritis
Cycling also requires your legs to move in a repetitive motion, which can cause overuse injuries/osteoarthritis. The hips and knees are most commonly affected.

* Osteoporosis
Your body is continuously renovating your skeleton, absorbing old bone tissue and replacing it with calcium that helps form new bone. Physical activity that includes impact and vibration (running, strength training, even walking) stresses the tissue and triggers the rebuilding process. Cycling, however, has no such effect. Its seated, off-the-ground riding position minimises impact on your skeletal system. And there is a chance that the more you ride, the greater your risk of losing bone mass (osteoporosis).

*Cycling causes weak gluteal, hamstrings, and core stabiliser muscles.

Mix Up Exercises

To get more bone benefits from cycling, switch up your moves frequently. Never do the same exercise for a long period.
*Back stretches

Be mindful of your posture throughout your day. Stand or sit tall and suction your head back in space.

* Yoga

Yoga is a relaxing way to lengthen and loosen muscles. As a horseback/bike rider it is critical that your body remains relaxed and that you are able to move rhythmically with the gait of your horse. Some helpful poses that lengthen your muscles and release tension include downward dog, eagle, chair, and triangle.

* Leg stretches

The hamstring and Achilles tendons are especially important when it comes to riding. In order to become acclimated to the saddle’s stirrups, you should perform the seated hamstring stretch as well as calf raises and dips. With more flexible tendons in your legs, keeping your feet in the stirrups will become much more comfortable.

* Inner thigh exercises

By doing inner thigh exercises, you can improve your stability riding, allowing for a more comfortable ride. Some suggested exercises include plie squats, squat jumps, and even squeezing a volleyball in between your knees.

* Abdominal exercises

Great posture plays an incredible role in a proper ride, and the best way to maintaining this is through keeping a tight core. Planks, crunches, Russian twists, any abs exercise will contribute wonders to amazing core strength, and your riding will be that much enjoyable.

* Upper body exercises

As a rider, you mostly use your upper body. With a stronger upper body you can make riding effortless. Suggested exercises include seated rows, push-ups, triceps dips, wrist curls, and dumbbell raises to work the major muscle groups in your upper body.

* Neck exercises

To avoid misaligning the body, try isometric neck exercises, chin to chest stretches, and even practising perfect posture daily.