Cyclists’ core stability is usually insufficient to handle long rides.
Core stability means possessing the strength in the muscles that control the movement of the pelvis. This becomes vitally important when an athlete is requiring their body to perform at a high level.
The core stability muscles not only have to tolerate prolonged flexion of the spine but they also have to provide a stable platform to absorb the massive forces generated by the legs. Each time the legs push down onto the pedals, a force is also directed up into the trunk. When a cyclist becomes tired, they have more uncontrolled movements occurring at their trunk (e.g.,increases in lumbar flexion, rotation or side flexion) as they push down with their legs. This is because the trunk is not strong enough to absorb the forces from the legs and maintain a neutral spine, which causes fatigue and back pain. With good core stability, cyclists are better able to control these movements, absorbing the huge forces from their legs more effectively and therefore, cycle faster!
The lower abdominal muscles must be activated when trying to stabilize the core. We use a variety of exercises to activate or turn on the lower abdominal muscles.
Activating the core.
Lie on your back with your knees and hips bent. Your back should be in the neutral position (e.g.,a slight curve in your lumbar spine). Pull your belly button in toward your spine without any change occurring to your spinal position. Imagine you are pulling your tummy in as you would if you were tightening your belt an extra loop. Ensure the contraction is smooth and that you maintain a normal breathing pattern throughout. Sustain this contraction for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Once you have a good grasp of this exercise try in different positions like sitting/standing and also while on your bike.
Other exercises that are used to stabilize the core include: pelvic tilts, bird dog, seated hip flexion, and planks.
Flexibility
Stretching is also a very important component of any athletes training. The most important muscles that need to be stretched for a cyclist are the hip flexor muscles. The hips spend the preponderance of time in flexion during cycling and need some length restored to them. The stretch that we prefer is the kneeling hip flexor stretch with core rotation away from kneeling leg.
To assess how to improve a cyclists’ performance and eliminate lower back pain, we recommend 3-D motion capture analysis. We perform our analysis while you are riding your bike on your rollers. For more information on how to stop lower back pain and take your cycling to the next level, please visit www.3dsportsanalytics.com For more information contact Dr. Zappala at 949.631.5336 ext 11
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