Stretching Exercises for Cyclists

Stretching exercises are important for any type of athlete, but have an even more exaggerated effect for cyclists. Because you’re repeating the same movements over and over, day after day, your muscles become accustomed to a smaller range of motion than they should be.

Cycling without stretching actually causes your muscles to shrink over time. The change in length of your muscle fibers causes slight posture changes in multiple areas, which can add up to a significant alteration of posture over time and lead to injury.

The most common areas of tightening and muscle shortness for cyclists are the hip flexors, hamstrings, and quads. Here are some great stretching exercises that will help cyclists overcome this. [Read more…]