Five Stretches You Need to Stay Loose After Indoor Cycling

With many of us stuck indoors and secluded to the pain cave for training, stretching can be an often-overlooked but beneficial part of your cycling training regimen. Indoor cycling on the trainer puts different stresses on the body than does riding outdoors. Typically on an indoor trainer you stay put and move much less than in the outdoors. I can got 2-3 hours on the trainer without standing or shifting positions, outdoors I might be out of the saddle several times an hour. Because of the lack of movement, indoor training can lead to a lot of tightness in the muscles and joints.

Ease strained muscles after an indoor ride with these five stretches:

Downward Dog

Downward Dog stretches the hamstrings and calves, which are often very tight in cyclists because full extension of the legs is almost never achieved while on the bike.

Pretzel Stretch

The Pretzel Stretch targets the glutes, which can get very tight after a long session on the bike.

Thoracic Spine Extension

The Thoracic Spine Extension relieves the stress which is placed on the spine from hours spent in a fixed position while cycling.

Hip Flexor Stretch

The  Hip Flexor Stretch helps teach your hip flexors to relax when the glutes are contracted. This stretch will help loosen tight hips.

Book Opening Stretch

The Book Opening Stretch helps give more mobility in your thoracic spine and also stretches the pectoralis minor in your chest which helps posture on and off the bike.