elmatto

Hi,
Wondering if anyone does any warm-up exercises/stretching before they start off. Been commuting for about 3 months and I just hop on and go and starting to get a few twinges. I have a moderate hill within my first mile and thinking it might be better to be properly warmed up before I tackle it.

Any thoughts?

HardyWeinberg

A couple years ago I was having major back and foot problems, went to phys therapy and was stretching ~12x/ day. When I stopped going to PT I cut that by more than half, and then it petered out as I got progressively cockier, until I feel twinges again then I step it back up. Lately I've been skimming just below the twinge level but haven't been able to make myself stretch. I did once last week. I know when I stretch more I feel better. But it takes, you know, time and effort.

Arcanum

Nope, I just get on and go. Never had a problem, even on the handful of 30+ mile rides I've done.

KrisPistofferson

I warm up and stretch a little before I start, but don't do a full-on yoga routine or anything. I find that the stretching is a lot better and more effective after the ride.

unixpro

I kind of figure I'm doing it on the bike. I don't start out at full throttle (not that I ever get there anyway), but take it easy for the first mile or so. I figure that's a reasonable warm-up.

rhm

No, not me. I get on the bike and go full throttle.

shouldberiding

Stretching cold muscles is usually a bad idea. Do it mid or post ride.

Just take it easy the first couple miles on the bike before you start hammering. Maybe add an extra mile to the start of your route if it's not too long already.

TFS Jake

I do as above, bike then stretch (if you feel that you should)

daredevil

I'm old and climb a 6% hill out my door often in frigid temps. No warm up or stretching. I used to feel guilty about that until I read some article that said stretching wasn't good for you period. Since I'm kinda lazy in that regard anyway, I'm gonna continue to go with that theory.

Square & Compas

For any twinges, discomfort or pain my little friends Advil, Excedrine and Tylenol usually solve the problem. If they don't do the job I pull out the heavy duty little friend Hydrocodone, if that isn't enough I down it with a cold beer.

All kidding aside I have never stretch before a commute and have rarely had a problem with it. The first mile and last mile I ride at a slower pace to warm up/cool down.

Square & Compas

Are you suggesting to stop in mid commute, get off the bike and stretch? If you are, are you nuts!? When I am off work and tired, I want to get home to kiss the wife, pet the dog, have a nice hot meal and kick back in my La-Z Boy until I go to bed. The last freaking thing I want to or am going to do is stop and stretch.

ItsJustMe

I just get on and go. I'm not the type to hammer it though, I take a while getting going in the morning.

It's probably more useful to stretch after the ride.

kegoguinness

FWIW from someone who just earned a functional therapist cert: others have touched on it above but here's my take in sum: you want to put your joints through a full range of motion to lubricate them. That is a full range of pain-free motion for YOUR body. Everyone is not the same here.

Easy starts are the best, because on a bike, you are putting your knee joints through a full range whether going 2 or 20 mph. Starting slow for a couple minutes is probably best, but as some above note, they can hammer away right from the get-go. I recommend not hammering right away, especially if under a heavy load. Use low gears when starting out. Injury is caused by force. Keep the forces low and reduce the chance of injury.

Happy riding everyone!

caloso

Funny. You know what they use in other sports to warm up/keep loose? An exercise bike.

mawtangent

I'm 45 and have had (for about 5 years) reoccuring stiffness and soarness in my lower back and hip (mostly on my left side). A few months ago I was beginning to have trouble just bending over to pick up a pencil from the floor. I had been doing some "wimpy" stretches for lower back pain for years, but I decided to "go for it" and do (what was for me) something counterintuitive and worked my way up (using less-intensive stretching for the first few minutes) to touching my toes (standing, bending over, with my legs strait) and holding this for about a minute, then a minute later repeating a second time. I hadn't done this sort of stretch in decades (I never liked stretching to the point of discomfort). It took me a week to actually touch my toes and after doing this routine daily for the past few months, I still (in the first seconds) use all my will power to overcome the initial discomfort of getting my fingers to my toes. The upside it that my back/hip sorness has dramatically diminished.

Stretching just before a ride may or may not be beneficial (I've even heard the claim before that that all "warm-up" stretching was useless), starting out riding slow may be enough to get you through that ride okay. If your young and have only a few"twinges" then maybe you don't need to worry. If you've got persistant problems with soarness/stiffness then I'm a firm believer that regular stretching (not necessarily just before a ride) can be part of the solution.

girlonbike

I say listen to your body. If you think it might be a good idea then give it a try. I never warm up, but I live on the top of a hill and pretty much any direction I go is downhill for me so my first ride of the day is usually a pretty easy one...lost of coasting.

electrik

Stretching is important, but you should be doing it after your activity or any time during the day if you need to. Most people now agree that stretching before exercise increases the chances of an injury since you've temporarily elongated your muscles and tendons which can lead to improper biomechanical motion. Just like all those people throwing their stretched backs out at the airport luggage carosel after a long inter-national flight all hunched over in their chair. Streching cold muscles isn't an issue... unless your internal body temperature has dropped somehow, in which case seek medical attention.

Also be very careful when you stretch(go slowly and steadily no pain should be involved unless you have an underlying issue), a lot of people trying todo hamstring stretches are actually stretching their sciatic nerve... which will cause sciatica. Be sure you're doing the stretch properly.

Don't bother to warm-up unless you're in a race or something. Warming up will happen on the bicycle after an easy start

zoodude

i think everyone is hitting it dead on when the say start easy. that will warm the muscles just fine for any fun hills

buzzman

I vote with those that say start out easy- especially if your body is stiff. So I don't do any stretching beforehand but usually slowly build up to speed if necessary.

That said, I have occasional back issues and one morning this week I went out into the 13〫F temps and found my front tire flat. I quickly bent down to undo the q.r. and for some reason got a little twinge, which I ignored, then I fixed the tire, hopped on the bike- now running late- and started to hammer. It set in motion some serious back spasms that didn't quit until I got to work and managed to lie flat on my back and do some stretching and breathing.