Don’t let a stiff back stop you from getting out for a ride. Simon Vincett has exercises backed up with on-the-road technique. Finding good posture in a stretching session is one thing, but for lasting comfort on the bike, you need to achieve poise under pressure. Use your training rides to build your foundation of
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When confronted with back pain, the only way forward is to go back to basics, finds Iain Treloar. For the first hour or two of a ride, all seems well. Then, like a thread unraveling from a jumper, the first ache appears and soon enough I’m undone. The early twinge spreads from the mid-back and
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It’s hard to beat lunges for a lower-body warm up. Simon Vincett suggests this set you can do before any ride. The basic lunge is a superb exercise for warming up the major cycling muscles of the thighs and buttocks. With a few lunge variations as well, you can wake up the supporting muscles too, priming
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After a hard ride you probably feel like complete rest but a bit more low-intensity activity will make you feel better in the long run. Simon Vincett explains. With the peak riding season upon us, you might as well make the most of your efforts. That’s what active recovery offers, with the added benefit of
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Instead of a coffee break, take a stretch break for a boost of vitality. Simon Vincett has six stretches you can do in ten minutes at your desk. Office-chairs have a bad rep, with many health authorities pointing out that sitting down for the majority of the work day increases our risk of disease. A whole
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Physio Fiona White complied this set of stretches for riders on the RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride and they’re great to follow any ride. Before we start, here are a few simple stretching guidelines to follow: 1. Focus on muscles that are tight in your own body. We are all different and our bodies react differently to exercise.
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Post-ride stretching converts your valuable exercise into flexibility and stable posture. Vanessa Lougoon selects a super six collection of static stretches for maximum effect in minimal time. Workload guidelines > Perform each stretch two times each for 20–30 seconds for each stretch. (If time is limited perform only one set.) > Gently move into each position until you
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Use the time spent waiting for your mates with this dynamic stretch from Vanessa Lougoon. Before riding the best warm up is dynamic stretching, which involves a progressive stretch through a specific range of movement. This is far better than the traditional static stretching. In dynamic stretching the end position is held for 1–2 seconds.
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