Cycling Stretches

After Riding

Note: If you've had any recent surgery, muscle or joint problems, please consult your personal health-care professional before starting a stretching or exercise program.

How to stretch: Stretch slowly without bouncing. Stretch to where you feel a slight, easy stretch. Hold this feeling for 5 to 30 seconds. As you hold this stretch, the feeling of tension should diminish. If it doesn't, just ease off slightly into a more comfortable stretch. The easy stretch reduces tension and readies the tissues for the developmental stretch.

After holding the easy stretch move a fraction of an inch farther into the stretch until you feel mild tension again. This is the developmental stretch, which should be held for 5 to 30 seconds. This feeling of stretch tension should also slightly diminish or stay the same. If the tension increases or becomes painful, you are overstretching. Ease off a bit to a comfortable stretch. The developmental stretch reduces tension and will safely increase flexibility.
 Hold only stretch tensions that feel good to you. The key to stretching is to be relaxed while you concentrate on the area being stretched. Your breathing should be slow, deep and rhythmical. Don't worry about how far you can stretch. Stretch relaxed and limberness will come as one of the many by-products of regular stretching.

In the illustrations with each stretch, the dotted areas are those body areas where you will most likely feel the stretches.

1. To stretch your calf, stand a little ways from a solid support and lean on it with your forearm. Bend one leg and place your foot on the ground in front of you leaving the other leg straight, behind you. Slowly move your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the calf of your straight leg. Be sure to keep the heel of the foot on the straight leg on the ground and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold an easy stretch for 30 seconds. Do not bounce. Stretch both legs.

2. Opposite hand to opposite foot - quads and knee stretch: With the left hand, grab the top of the right foot (from the inside of the foot) and gently pull, moving the heel towards your buttocks. The knee bends at a natural angle in this position and creates a good stretch in the knee and quads. This is especially good to do if you have had trouble or feel pain stretching in the hurdle stretch position leaning back, or when pulling the right heel to the butt with the right (same) hand. Pulling opposite hand to opposite foot does not create any adverse angles in the knee and is especially good in knee rehab and with problem knees. Hold for 30 seconds. Do both legs.

3. With arms overhead, hold the elbow of one arm with the hand of the other arm. Keeping the knees slightly bent (1 inch), gently pull your elbow behind your head as you bend from your hips to the side. Hold an easy stretch for 10 seconds. Do both sides. Keep your knees slightly bent for better balance.

CYCLING STRETCHES c1999 by Bob Anderson, illustrated by Jean Anderson, Stretching, Inc., has been reprinted by permission. For a free catalog of Stretching Inc. publications/products, visit www.stretching.com or call 800.333.1307, Box 767, Palmer Lake, CO 80133. CYCLING STRETCHES is available as a laminated 8 1/2- x 11-inch sheet, 22 1/2- x 34-inch poster, laminated, paper, or paper/folded, a 4- x 4 1/2-inch booklet and as a routine included in their book, STRETCHING.