post ride massage - I Love Bicycling

The Best Massage Ball Exercises for Cyclists

June 29, 2022 by Guest Post

If you are currently a Dynamic Cyclist subscriber the use of a ball, of some sort, has become one of your primary self care tools. Nothing feels better than TFL release, am I right?! But this little addition to your stretching and mobility programs can be something you take on trips and races as your own personal deep tissue masseuse.

I always bring a ball with me on trips and races. It’s relatively small, light and easy to pack and is the next best thing to a foam roller. At the end of a 20 hour riding day nothing feels better than to sit down and roll out the muscles and fascia. Here are some ways you can use one to help settle the legs down after a long day in the saddle.

Rolling out the quads: Simply sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Take the ball in your hand, roll it up and down your quad, pressing deeply into the muscle. You can dig right into your adductors and IT bands as well.

Shin and Calf: Still sitting, take the ball and roll it up and down the muscles on the outside of your lower leg. You can also place the ball on the ground underneath your calf and apply pressure to roll that area out as well. Spend time pressing on the more tender spots to facilitate release.

Glutes: Just like you would with a foam roller, place the ball on the ground, place your glute on top of it and roll around. This can be pretty gnarly as the ball applies a lot more pressure than the foam roller. Simply place more weight on your feet and hands to reduce the pressure. You can also do this against a wall to better control pressure.

TFL: Cyclists can really suffer here. To find the TFL, place your finger on the front of your pelvic bone. Slowly move down and to the outside of the thigh until you feel a ropey muscle that is the width of a finger. It may be tender to touch. You can roll the TFL with the ball by hand or you can use the ground or the wall to really dig in.

Shoulders, Back and Scapulae: Place the ball on the ground or use a wall to focus pressure on various knots in these areas.

Feet: Place the ball on the ground and while sitting, roll the bottoms of your feet from the heel to the ball to give yourself a lovely foot massage.

Arms: After being on the bars all day, simply rolling the ball over the muscles in the upper and lower arms can feel great and will get the blood circulating again.

For something so small and unassuming, the cork ball can really help in relieving tension in the body. It’s cheap, light, portable and really effective at finding those spots that need the most attention. Check your local yoga shop to see if they have them or you can pick them up on Amazon for less than $20.

Written by Steve O’ Shaughnessy – Distance Cyclist & Podcaster

A Bit About Steve

Hi, I’m Steve O’Shaughnessy, born and raised in the town of Deep River, Ontario. I first moved west in the early 90’s and made Whistler, British Columbia my home. Years later and after careers in retail, information technology and coffee roasting I’d find myself with a wife and family in Invermere, British Columbia.

I started cycling in my 20’s after moving to Whistler, and what a place to learn to ride mountain bikes. I was a guide on Whistler Mountain well before its absorption by Intrawest. I spent most of my time on singletrack and still love a rip on the trails every now and then, but lately, riding distances has become very attractive to me.

In 2018, I rode the BC Epic 1000 and finished in (4d 4h), in 2019 I rode an ITT of the Lost Elephant (2d 15h) then again in 2020 on my single speed, where I finished in 2nd (2d9h30m) behind Justin Hettinga. 2021 was the year of my BC Epic yoyo when I also raised a modest $2000 for the Masaka Cycling Club. A huge personal challenge for me that was also a great success.

In 2018, after the tragic loss of Ryan Correy, I picked up the Bikepack Canada podcast and put out 23 episodes before branching out to start my own podcast, My Back 40. As a podcast producer and host, my mission is to bring listeners inspiring conversations about bikepacking, ultra endurance racing, training, nutrition and the mental health benefits of this awesome activity.

I enjoy writing and recording conversations with inspiring people. If I have learned anything after over 100 conversations I’ve had, it’s that everyone has a story and can inspire. I have also learned that we are all so much more capable than we give ourselves credit for.

Check out Steve O’Shaughnessy’s podcast ‘My Back 40’!

Massage Tips For Tight Muscles

January 15, 2015 by Dyani Herrera

Frequent rides may do wonders for our fitness level both physically and mentally, but they do take a toll on our muscles if we don’t stretch sufficiently. Not properly caring for these muscles could lead to restrictions in our fascia. Fascia is a type of tissue in our body which envelops and divides the muscles. It has the ability to contract and relax with our muscles as well as withstand any load we may place.

However, at times if it is a higher load than our muscles can withstand, the fascia can become “deformed” and create restrictions, which lead to pain. They also cause decreased range of motion. These restrictions can become chronic issues if not treated adequately such as IT band syndrome, leg length discrepancies, or piriformis syndrome to name a few. Nevertheless, there are a few massage techniques which are great to address these “knots” in our soft tissue.

Active-Release Technique (ART):

This technique is best completed by a clinician (physical therapist, chiropractor, athletic trainer, or occupational therapist) that is certified in this manual therapy, but I’ll help you out with a brief video so you may do these at home with a partner if a clinician is not available to you. The idea behind ART is that it releases the knots in your fascia by moving the muscle in the direction it performs (refer to the chart for assistance). For instance, to release your quadriceps the therapist would massage upwards as you extend your knee/leg.

At first, this technique can be painful, but take it from someone who does this consistently; it feels SO much better afterwards. Once your legs have been released with ART you feel like you could ride for hours. Typically, ART is done on the area that is causing you pain, but it helps to release the most active muscles in the lower extremity (hip flexor, piriformis, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and peroneals). This is additionally helpful, since fascia is found all over our body, and a restriction in a surrounding muscle can affect the one below or above it.

Therefore, if you’re having pain in the hamstring, part of the problem can be a restriction or lack of flexibility in the calf, causing the hamstring to work harder than it should. One good tip before performing ART is to heat the muscle being treated for about 15 minutes, to enhance the effects of the massage. A lotion that has an oily base with some analgesic would be best to help the fingers glide and offer some pain relief. Some of my favorites include “Alo” and “Biofreeze” which can usually be found at your local CVS.

ART Hip flexor & Quads ART Quads & Peroneals ART Peroneals & Piriformis

Muscle	Action it Performs/Direction
Quadriceps	Knee extension
Hamstrings	Knee flexion
Hip Flexor	Flexes hip/brings hip up
Peroneals	Moves foot outwards, away from you
Calves	Moves foot/ankle towards floor
Piriformis	Hip rotation away from you

The next question you may be asking yourself is how often should you do this? This answer depends on several factors: How often do you ride? How many miles a week? Are you currently experiencing pain on one of these locations? If you’re an avid rider, it would be advantageous to do this at least once a week to address any restrictions and decrease your risk of soft tissue injury.

Deep Tissue Massage:

This massage is indicated for a person who would like a full body release after enduring a tough ride or race. It is important to note, this is not a relaxation massage, it can be painful over your pressure points, but you will feel more flexible afterwards. This type of massage should only be performed by someone who is a certified massage therapist. If an uncertified person performs this massage, they could do more harm than good. In addition, make sure to let you therapist know you are a cyclist and which areas you would like them to focus on. These can be completed once a month unless you’re in a heavy training bulk, then twice is more beneficial.

Graston Technique:

Graston massage is performed by clinicians who have been certified in this manual therapy and know how to properly use the tools. This is another technique which focuses largely on releasing restrictions in the fascia except it uses the tools in an almost “scraping” motion. Each tool is stainless steel and specifically shaped to treat certain areas of the body.

In addition to releasing fascia it also aids with removing accumulated lactic acid in muscles. It can be painful if the muscle and fascia are very tight, but will help increase flexibility and reduce risk of injury. When I’ve been in a high volume period of my training this has been a lifesaver, especially in helping me remove lactic acid. It has also helped with making my legs feel fresh for my next riding session. YouTube has several videos demonstrating the technique for different injuries and issues.

Self-Myofascial Release:

This technique is the most economical of the four and can be done consistently on your own with the help of a few tools. The most effective tools to help you include a high density foam roller, foam roller with ridges, the stick roller, and lacrosse ball. These can be completed a few times a week by rolling over the affected muscle for about 20-30 seconds, 2-3 times. Make sure to not continue rolling over the same muscle or tendon because, then you can irritate the area instead of release it. The lacrosse ball is great to release the rhomboids (between the shoulder blades) or the IT band.

It is vital that after completing any of these massages you drink plenty of water to help your body get rid of the byproducts from the massage. Although these massages can be painful they are beneficial. The same force and tension you applied on these muscles to get them this tight in the first place is the same amount needed to release them.

Post Ride Recovery Rituals

February 11, 2014 by U.M.

Many cyclists have different ways of cooling down after a long ride. In fact, each person will find that they have different needs when it comes to their muscles depending on the ride itself. Of the multiple post ride recovery rituals, here are a few of the most popular.

Stats

Not everyone is in to stats, but the ones that are are obsessed. One of the most common things to do after a ride is to upload your stats and check them – even before you take off your shoes. Did you capture that KOM? Did you have a higher average power output? How fast did you climb that hill…

Fluids and Food

One of the most efficient ways to recover is to replace the lost fluids in your body. During your bike ride you will most likely find that you sweat quite a bit. Sweat is the body’s way of cooling you down so that you don’t overheat, but it can also cause dehydration. Because water drives nearly every metabolic function in your body, dehydration is no joke. You can also lose the salts in your body through sweat. Both the fluids and the salts need to be replaced.

Eating food after your ride will also help you recover by replenishing the fuel stored in your body. By eating the proper food, you will be able to recover energy more quickly and your body will also be able to repair any tissue damage caused by exercise. The ideal time to eat after your bike ride is within 60 minutes of finishing.

Stretching/Massage

An important part of a post ride recovery is stretching. Don’t bother with strenuous stretching, but rather very gentle stretching. This will keep your loose muscles from becoming too rigid too quickly as they try to return to their resting state. This will also help prevent muscle soreness.

Massage is also going to help clear the lactic acid out and help you recover; however, not everyone can afford a massage after every ride. I recommend using a foam roller, if you do not already, it will change your life.

Rest

Rest is the most important thing you can do to recover from any sort of exercise. Even if you just take a few minutes to rest, you will feel better than if you didn’t rest at all. A 10 – 30 minute nap is ideal if you are able to sneak it in, but a good night’s sleep is the best thing you can do for yourself. Not only will you be able to recover fully but you will be more prepared for the next time you get on your bike.

When you are in recovery mode remember: Never stand when you can lean, never lean when you can sit and never sit when you can lie down!

Your post ride recovery ritual will depend on how hard of a bike ride you had. By tailoring your ritual for what your body needs, you will be able to recover quickly and efficiently. By recovering properly you will also be able to prevent the injuries that come with tired or strained muscles.

Post Ride Massage – Selfie

October 2, 2013 by Lee Agur

If you can spend an hour or two riding a bike, you can spend 5 to 10 minutes stretching and giving yourself a post ride massage. Unfortunately, I did not always believe this and it resulted in lower back pain and a few knee injuries. It all could have been prevented!

Post ride massages help you: recover faster, reduce/prevent injury, relax/elongate your muscles, improve circulation, flush metabolic cellular waste byproducts, calm your nervous system, relieve pain and feel better.

Now I do not know about you, but not many people are lining up to give me a massage. Weird. I use a foam roller, a lacrosse ball and a hand held massage device. I have a quick little ritual I do.

I start rolling on my lower back which usually cracks a few times and it instantly makes me feel better. Then I move to my IT band (source of my knee injuries) and I pretend my leg is on a rotisserie, rolling up and down… moving from the IT band to the quads, to the inner thigh and finally the hamstring. After my legs are done I massage my glutes, and most of the time I forget the calves… but I recommend hitting them up as well. 5 minutes down 5 to go.

After rolling it is likely you found some “awesome” spots (read as: “sore” spots). I try and spend a few minutes concentrated on them with the lacrosse ball. If they were “awesome” with the roller they are going to be really “awesome” with the lacrosse ball. Sometimes these areas just hurt too much and I remember that I need to focus on them later.

In the evenings I generally come back to the “awesome” spots and use the handheld massage device to focus on these areas while laying down and watching a TV-show or a movie.