# Proper stretching 4 old muscles?



## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

Old muscles keeping them flexible? Pre/post ride?

Your tips?


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

I like this advice a lot.

How To: Stretching for cyclists - Mtbr.com

I do the figure 4 a lot now. My hips always feel so tight.


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

2 words...Foam Roller


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## panchosdad (Sep 21, 2008)

arphaxhad said:


> 2 words...Foam Roller


Amen


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

PVC pipes! They are cheap and effective. The only drawback is that they are so hard that anyone with a lot of tight muscles and scar tissue should tread carefully.


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## DennisF (Nov 4, 2011)

I go to Yoga class with my wife. Great scenery to boot. I'm usually the only guy


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## Sinker (Feb 3, 2007)

DennisF said:


> I go to Yoga class with my wife. Great scenery to boot. I'm usually the only guy


I'm too gassy for group classes. Plus... fungus toe :-(


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## Sinker (Feb 3, 2007)

fc said:


> I like this advice a lot.
> 
> How To: Stretching for cyclists - Mtbr.com
> 
> I do the figure 4 a lot now. My hips always feel so tight.


Good stuff, thanks!


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Am yoga, 2-3 times a week, way awesome the morning after a hard pedal.


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## milliesand (Jun 29, 2015)

Question: Do bicyclists want to stretch (Yoga) , or strengthen (Tai Chi) especially back/core muscles?

And at that I likely show my ignorance. Go lightly, only trying to learn.


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## Phillbo (Apr 7, 2004)

How do you use the foam roller?


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## Spec44 (Aug 17, 2013)

There are a ton of videos on the web, but you essentially place it between your body and the floor, and manipulate your body so that the roller is moving back and forth under you, and your body weight is applying a localized pressure to the top of the foam roller with your muscles.

Example: you can be in a pushup position with the roller under your thighs, keeping your feet elevated off the floor, you use your hands/arms to roll your body front to back (so the roller works from your croch to your knee each roll). Then you rotate your knees a little at a time to work the inner and outer thigh.


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## Jake January (Sep 12, 2014)

milliesand said:


> Question: Do bicyclists want to stretch (Yoga) , or strengthen (Tai Chi) especially back/core muscles?
> 
> And at that I likely show my ignorance. Go lightly, only trying to learn.


Hatha yoga is more about breathing control than simply stretching. Tai Chi is more about energy flow, mind focus and calming of the mind than just building strength, though improved core strength is one of the results. Both are good but both require care to prevent injury.
Simple Buddhist breathing meditation is also good and doesn't stress the body.


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## milliesand (Jun 29, 2015)

Thanks for that, Jake.


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## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

Pre ride dynamic stretching, basically a light/no load warmup. Static stretching post ride. 
Latest research indicates pre exercise static stretching actually increases risk of injury and does not improve range of motion or performance.


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## singlesprocket (Jun 9, 2004)

stretching does not really work for me in the traditional sense. i find it better to do warm up exercises that incorporate an increased range of motion.

for what it is worth

Stretching Doesn't Work (the Way You Think It Does) | Breaking Muscle


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

Stretching cold muscles is bad new for young and old.

Proper diet and careful hydration methods get me to the trail head ready.
I ride in ramping up and find my self warmed up after about a mile on fire roads.

Then I stretch, Don't need any toys or a mat, I drop my camelback and get to it.

After the ride I continue to hydrate and get a cup of rice in me within 30 minutes or asap.
Then I treat my self to some meat as I am a carnivore 

Got a Total Gym at home, love it,,oh and some free weights and a Body Blade


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Never stretched.

Always believed in a slow start and end to a ride though.


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## camp10 (Mar 2, 2015)

I don't stretch either. 

But I make sure my first 2 miles are on pretty flat terrain.


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

No Stretch Here...Just takes me longer to warm the ol' knees up every season. Icy Hot or similar on the knees and neoprene wraps when I leave home in the truck helps the process along. They also are nice to put back on at the end of the ride for the cool down.


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

Another benefit of stretching,

Less severe Injuries, less torn ligaments, and most of all

Your more agile on the bike and have a greater range of motion, this lets you move around better and that Is the full circle leading back to less severe Injuries etc...

Most people don't know how to properly stretch so they gain nothing and give it up...


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## urmb (Oct 4, 2005)

A great book on stretching.
Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition: Bob Anderson, Jean Anderson: 9780936070469: Amazon.com: Books

I also use the big rolller and the yellow spikey things.
RumbleRoller Home

urmb


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## Bail_Monkey (May 8, 2007)

Phillbo said:


> How do you use the foam roller?


Lots of vids on Y-tube regarding foam rolling. I use it mostly for my upper back/traps/neck area. It really relieves a lot of tension up there. No need to pay for expensive massages.

The black foam rollers are much harder than the white ones. (I have a black one myself)


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## ozz (May 30, 2006)

Bail_Monkey said:


> Lots of vids on Y-tube regarding foam rolling. I use it mostly for my upper back/traps/neck area. It really relieves a lot of tension up there. No need to pay for expensive massages.
> 
> The black foam rollers are much harder than the white ones. (I have a black one myself)


I use it on my lower body. Rolling out my quads, hams and glutes relieved a lot of the lower back pain I had.


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## tammin (Aug 22, 2006)

Any updates on this six-year-old thread about stretching for oldies? I popped my femoral tendon a couple years ago, so I need to take special care of my knee. Getting back into riding with my new e-bike. Yay that!

Really want to take care of my legs by doing some focused stretching to keep everything limber, especially right after my ride. IT band gets really tight, as do quads. So - what are your top 3-4 post-ride stretches?


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## Brules (Jul 10, 2021)

Yoga. Specifically DDP Yoga. Yoga is great for everything MTB - balance, strength, tendon and ligament strengthening etc and best of all flexibility. Just started myself. I’m loving it. DDP Yoga because it is a little more intense than “sleepy” yoga as I call it.


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## Grinchy8 (Jul 6, 2021)

Another vote for yoga. 
Easy to get on most streaming platforms, just pick a 30 day program for beginners. Complete that, then do days 10 thru 30 again. Then do days 20 thru 30 again. That’s sixty days or so and you should be pretty solid on the basics, the various poses, and the flows. This will have built up enough flexibility and strength to do more advanced postures safely.
At that point you’ll be ready for any in person class or to move on to a streamed intermediate or advanced class series.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Does getting out of bed pass for stretching?

My wife thinks stretching is when you reach for a a beer and it's a little further away than two feet ...


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## Brules (Jul 10, 2021)

Also with yoga vs weights - it’s really difficult to hurt yourself. 😁


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