Do you devote long periods of time on your bike? Have you ever suffered from muscle pain after many kilometres of riding? Perhaps you don’t care about the condition of your muscles. While riding a bike you are working in one position all the time with the same movements. This can cause the elasticity of the fascia to deteriorate and cause trigger points – which are more painful points on your body.
What Is Fascia?
Imagine the fascia as a thin membrane which connects skin, muscles as well as ligaments together like a spider web. When glued together, the fascia restricts the mobility of the area which ultimately causes pain.
This process also reduces the proper circulation of blood, which leads to poorer nutrition in addition to muscle oxygenation. In addition, the proper removal of metabolic products is limited. The longer that you ignore these problems, the more these will start to annoy you. A great solution to this problem is a musculoskeletal and fascist massage performed with a foam roller.
The Benefits Of Foam Rollers
Making use of foam rollers is advised by physiotherapists, osteopaths and cycling coaches all over the world. In fact, we have yet to hear a sports injury or performance specialist who does not recommend the use of one of these gadgets.
Though a foam roller can’t replace a skilled set of therapeutic hands, foam rolling can assist with warming, stretching, and providing myofascial release — in other words, breaking adhesions as well as scar tissue within the muscle and fascia which covers it—to prevent and relieve muscle soreness. Foam rolling is a convenient and effective way to home in on trouble spots and work through them at your comfort level.
Cyclists tend to suffer from tight quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back muscles as well as calves. If you are going to release one area, it’s a very good idea to provide the same treatment elsewhere on your body in order to ensure that you remain well balanced.
If you are suffering from a specific cycling-related pain, then it’s also important to remember that the bit that is hurting isn’t inevitably the cause. Rolling over a spot that is sore isn’t the answer – rather, you often need to release the surrounding area.
Have A Regular Foam Rolling Routine
The best approach to take with foam rolling is to have a regular routine. It will take about 10 minutes and you should be aiming to complete the full set once a day. Ideally, you should be stretching afterwards once your muscles are warm and loosened up.
Foam Roller For IT Band
The IT band is an areas of the body where cyclists should take particular care. If this area is neglected it often causes intense pain on the side of the knee. It also has a significant tendency to lose flexibility and develop trigger points.
When rolling, you need to position yourself sideways as if you were on a side plank. The leg you are going to massage needs to be straight and placed on a roller. Put the opposite leg straight out in front of you and support your weight on it. Massage the area below your hip plate by going down to the knee with the roller but not on the knee.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Would you like to learn about more foam rolling exercises that can help you – as well as others – who are experiencing muscle pain? If you do then you should study our Foam Rolling Course. Follow this link for more information.
