Common Biking Ailments and How to Recover

Whether it’s from overtraining or a poor bike fit, strain and injury can be a common part of this summer sport. Below are three typical ailments, followed by movements to help you recover:

1. Mid back pain:

Why? Prolonged leaning and bending over the bike creates excessive strain in the mid back (thoracic region).

Movements that help:

  • Yoga poses Cat and Cow, Up Dog
  • Lying on your stomach and propping yourself up on your elbows
  • Squeezing your shoulder blades together (to help with upright posture)
  • Increasing your core control by adding planking into your routine.

2. Shoulder pain:

Why? The forward lean on the bike can create a pinch in the front of the shoulder.

Movements that help:

  • Chest stretching: Place your arm in the doorway and rotate it away, creating a stretch in the chest area. Sometimes called a “pec stretch.”
  • Rotator cuff strengthening: Use a TheraBand to strengthen the shoulder

3. Hip pain:

Why? Constant pedaling can create fatigue in the core, and the front of the hip can often start compensating for the gluteus medius (buttock) muscle. Often people will feel a pinch in the front of their hip or excessive soreness in the front of their hip.

Movements that help:

  • Lying down, cross one leg over the other and pull up to stretch the buttock muscle.
  • Bridge: While lying on your back, squeeze your buttocks together with a belt around your knees and push out. This will stretch your buttocks muscles.

By trying some of these movements, you may be able to minimize the pain from bicycling.