If you’re anything like me Cycling Lower Back pain, you probably spend most of your time sitting at a desk. Unless you’re a farmer, chances are your office job doesn’t involve a lot of physical activity. But even if you spend most of your time indoors, the static nature of most modern jobs means that your body still hasn’t gotten used to it. This has made it increasingly common for people to experience pain in the lower back. Left untreated can lead to lower-back problems such as sciatica and herniation. Thankfully, there are quite a few things you can do to protect your back while cycling or any other physically demanding activity. Read on to learn more about how riding a bicycle can help keep your spine healthy and reduce the risk of lower back pain.
Don’t do too much, too soon.
Many people try jumping straight from a sedentary job to cycling and end up with lower back pain. If you’re looking to get started with cycling, be sure to ease into it gradually. Do some easy rides first to get your body used to the activity and reduce the risk of injury. Only do the cycling you feel comfortable with, especially about your fitness level. You could end up doing too much too soon, which could lead to lower back problems down the line.
Get a bike you love
If you put a lot of effort into cycling, you will want to make sure it’s something you truly love to do. It’s frustrating enough when you’re doing an activity you don’t enjoy; it’s even more frustrating when you’re doing it to avoid pain. That’s why you should try to find a bike that you love. This could help you get into cycling more enthusiastically, which could help you stick with it longer. It could also make you enjoy the activity more, which could help you stay healthy when the pain eventually hits.
Protect your neck and wrists
The most common lower-back issues occur in the lower back, near the tailbone, and the sacroiliac (SI) joint. This is because these areas are most commonly used and, therefore, most prone to injury. Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce your risk of lower back pain and injury by protecting your neck and wrists. This means wearing a cycling helmet, wrist guards, and fingerless cycling gloves when you’re cycling. You can also try lowering the handlebars of your bike slightly, which would protect your neck and wrists from forearm and shoulder contact with the handlebars.
Walk before you ride.
If you find yourself with lower back pain, you should try to reduce the amount of time you spend in the sitting position. This could help reduce the risk of the pain getting worse. Instead of sitting when you’re at work, try to make an effort to walk around, get up and walk around, and walk downstairs while you’re at your desk. If you can do this consistently, you should be able to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting significantly, which could help you protect your back.
Be aware of your body position.
When cycling, you should try to get into an athletic position. This means keeping your back straight (with your head up and shoulders back) and your core engaged throughout the entire movement.
Strive for good posture
Cycling can be a great way to improve your posture and protect your back. This is because cycling regularly is one of the best ways to strengthen your core muscles, which are responsible for protecting your lower back. The best posture for bike people is to keep your shoulders back and your head up while engaging your core and deep abdominal muscles while you cycle.
Take time off between hard workouts.
There’s a chance that cycling is becoming too hard for your body and leading to lower back pain. If this is the case, you should try to take some time off between hard workouts. This can help reduce the level of physical stress on your body and allow it to recover more quickly. It should help you avoid overtraining, a common cause of back issues.
Stay flexible to prevent injury.
Finally, it would help if you tried to stay as flexible as you can while cycling. This is because it can help you prevent injury and reduce your risk of developing joint or muscle issues. By staying flexible, you’re ensuring that the joints in your hips and knees stay in their normal positions. This could help protect your joints from the wear and tear of cycling.