Back issue... Update

There's a lot to be said for stretching. I had knee problems earlier this year and turns out that it was simply due to not warming up and down properly. Really scared me as I was worried permanent problems may make me unable to do the sports I love. Doc's didn't help and recommended lifting weights instead of cycling and running. Found a sports physio and he was great, two sessions later and no problems since.
 
Funnily enough I played soccer for 26 years and never once stretched and never had a problem. I also started racing in the early 90's (about 92 I think) and did DH and XC and never once stretched.
I guess though I am now in my early 30's and age is starting to catch up on me....
 
highlandsflyer":38wgke4n said:
I read all that expecting a bill.

Woah. Wait. People pay for this tattle?! I'll PM you my paypal details :D

FST4RD":38wgke4n said:
So you would recommend out of all the professionals to see a physio?

Yes. Without a moments hesitation!! Of course, I might be slightly biased... Erm, chiropractors are lovely people, but they generally believe that spinal pain comes from the spine, treat the spine and don't know much else. Physios, good physios that is, know that the root cause could originate anywhere, so you're getting to the underlying problem with a good physio. Now. Who do I speak to about my commission??

An example is your toe comment... Your chiropractor reckoned that bending your toes up would have increased the tension in the sciatic nerve. I'm dubious... any cycling position - head up, knees bent - would have reduced this tension. It was more likely to be the piriformis muscle in yer butt pinching the sciatic nerve due to those tight hamstrings again. I'm not entirely sure how toe position affects hamstring length at the moment, but it's early, and I'm only one coffee into the day... *pops on 'musing' hat* Cos with a fixed saddle/pedal position, the relationship between the femur and the vertical alignment of the tibia in relation to the pedal will remain roughly constant, so dropping your heel would reduce hip flexion and reduce the pull on the hamstring.... okay, I'm happy again now. Ride with a neutral foot and toes.

And, finally, warming up is over-rated. It tends to cause more injuries than it prevents. The smart money nowadays is on a cool-down and doing some stretches at some other point in the day.
 
I have heard warming up is over rated.
Is warming up (riding around the car park) the same as stretching beforehand?

Should I be stretching before and after riding and inbetween, or just after and inbetween?

Thanks for all your help again :D
 
Update....

So now I stretch before and after rides. 1 other thing that I did was move the seat forward about an inch so I sit with the bones in my bum right on the widest part of the seat.
Doing all this it seems that my back issues have gone!
My local track with is only 15km long I used to stop part way round to stretch my back, now I fly around with no issues! :D I can get all the way around and back to the car with no issues at all! :D

Thanks heaps for all the help!
 
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