5 foam roller exercises to reduce back pain in cyclists

The back is one of the parts of our body that suffers the most when cycling. It is not uncommon to see an athlete complain of colossal back pain after a long cycling session.

The reason for this common evil is due to the very nature of the sport. When you get on the saddle, your arms are positioned forward and your hips back, leaving your torso at a very precise angle that ends up taking its toll on your back sooner or later.

One solution to reduce these pains is by practicing these simple but effective stretching exercises with a foam roller . You dare?

5 foam roller exercises for back pain in cyclists

Coaches recommend doing these foam roller exercises at the end of your bike ride. You only need to perform the full cycle of repetitions in all postures, dedicating the necessary time to each movement to condition and relax the muscles again.

If you still doubt the effectiveness of this great exercise, Macdonald et al. (2014) found that foam rolling not only significantly reduces pain, it also improves range of motion (ROM) and muscle activation. In addition, it is practical to recognize what type of foam roller can help you treat your problem.

The low density tend to be the most suitable for intensive training s, such as cycling. You can get a textured one as they treat pain trigger points in your back.

Finally, if you find yourself in the need to use it daily to calm the pain or if when doing it you think you are making a mistake, we recommend you visit your trusted doctor because it may be a problem that requires specialized care.

Now yes! Let’s start with the exercises:

1. Strengthening the core

1. Lie vertically on the foam roller so that you support your head and lower back on the cylinder, with your arms at your sides and your knees bent.
2. In this position, raise your right hand and left knee to a 90 ° angle. Then repeat on the opposite side.
3. Continue for 5 to 10 reps on each side.

2. Quadriceps rolling

1. Lie face down, placing the foam roller under your thighs, while leaning on your forearms.
2. Roll the cylinder from the top of your knees to the middle of your thighs.
3. Repeat this movement 4 times.

3. Thoracic spine stretch

1. Lie on the foam roller in an upright position again, while lifting your knees.
2. Open your arms in a T-shape to stretch and relax. Afterwards, take a deep breath holding this pose for 30 seconds.
3. You can repeat this stretch about 3 times, if necessary.

4. Stretching the pecs

1. Lie face down placing the foam roller diagonally under the right part of your chest and relax your right arm.
2. Use your right arm to move your shoulders and roll the cylinder about 4 times.
3. Repeat this movement with the left side.

5. Relaxation of the upper back

1. Lie on your back and place the foam roller horizontally on your upper back.
2. Put your hands behind your head. In that position, slowly lower your head to the ground.
3. Do 3 to 5 repetitions, moving the cylinder in all the segments of the upper back.

conclusion

As you can see, these exercises also help you release tension, strengthen and stretch your pectoral and quadriceps muscles that tend to shrink or misalign with time and posture. This natural degeneration also greatly influences the typical back pain of cyclists.

Hence the importance of having a routine like this, which helps you treat and prevent pain in this part of the body that we sometimes ignore during cycling.

References

• Mateo, A. (2018). 7 Foam Roller Exercises for Back Pain. For Bicycling [Revised January 2019].
• Macdonald, G., Button, D., Drinkwater, E. and Behm, D. (2014). Foam Rolling as a Recovery Tool after an Intense Bout of Physical Activity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. January, 131-142 .