Stretching

[ColoKate]

Do you commuters do any daily stretching before or after your ride to work? I've noticed now that I ride every day, my legs just feel tight, not painful though. I've looked online and found many stretches for cyclists. But I'm sure the stretching needed before/after a 5-mile ride differs from more intense exercise.

I guess what I'm really asking is how little can I get away with? Are you stretching at your desk at work? Do I have to stretch before too? I've read it's better to stretch when muscles are warm so I'm hoping just after...thanks!

[ny biker]

Stretching is good for you, regardless of how much cyling you are doing.

[OakLeaf]

Never stretch before exertion. Do a dynamic warmup, which for an ordinary commute should be leaving enough time that you don't have to totally hammer right off the line.

Unless you're dealing with a specific injury, or your commute is extremely hilly, I wouldn't worry too much about stretching at work. Do make time for daily myofascial release and stretching, but I think once a day is enough for most people.

[ColoKate]

That's really helpful, thanks! I'll stick to stretching at home in the evenings rather than looking goofy in my cube :)

[JennK13]

My chiro would agree with Oak :) She told me, and I've read, that as we ride more and build more leg muscles, we need to remember to stretch them out, especially the hip flexors. I'm horrible about that, and have really been feeling it lately myself with all the extra riding I've been doing.
If you think about the way our body is set up, it makes sense - we get used to being in that cycling position, kind of bent over, so it gets tight when we're upright. I feel it mostly in the tops of my quads right at my hips. She tells me to "open them up" with these hip flexor stretches. I think I need a sticky note on my computer reminding me to do it!

[ColoKate]

It's definitely my quads and hip flexors that I'm feeling! Same stuff that was sore/tight all winter from snowboarding. I had looked up some yoga-y hip opener stretches, I probably need to start doing those again.

Thanks!

[Melalvai]

I don't stretch regularly. Sometimes in the evenings my legs feel stiff and I'll stretch then. Oh, and I'll stop on stairs and stretch because I love that feeling. Is that weird? :)

[HipGnosis6]

I'm not a regular commuter at this time (but used to be and hope to be again) - but I used to feel that same "tight but not painfully so" feeling. I started doing a couple of simple stretches at the bike racks before heading in to my desk, and it helped a lot. They were just a quads stretch, calf stretch, then touch my toes. That was enough for my <5 mile commute.

[WolfGirl]

It's definitely my quads and hip flexors that I'm feeling! Same stuff that was sore/tight all winter from snowboarding. I had looked up some yoga-y hip opener stretches, I probably need to start doing those again.

Thanks!

One of my favorite short rides is to bike 5.5 mi to yoga, do 90 min of yoga that includes some amazing hip stretches, and then bike back. It helps me for days!

My network spinal analyst also points out that the upper back can also get very tight from biking if you're not positioned right (e.g., hunching over or gripping too hard). I try to stretch that as well.