Cycling and your body will change as you age - here's what you need to know.
Cycling Over 40
Aging should not be viewed as a traumatic experience, but there are some things that cyclists, and active individuals in general, should be aware of.
In addition to the grey hairs, you may begin to notice you have a few more aches and pains than you used to. No need to panic, this will happen to even the most fit among us. As we age, muscles and joints begin to weaken and range of motion deteriorates.
Ageing changes the bones, muscles and joints.
Sarcopenia, or the loss of muscles, is a process that progresses throughout life. Cyclists are already battling this by remaining active, but the joints can become stiff as the connective tissues become more rigid and brittle. The best way to combat this is with regular exercise, and daily targeted stretching.
“Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way.”
- Harvard Health Publications
Research shows that our targeted and sequential method will:
The truth behind ageing and adaptive muscle shortening.
There is a condition that most cyclists, and even doctors, are failing to identify, but if you suffer from:
- TIGHT HAMSTRINGS
- TIGHT HIP FLEXORS
- SORE QUADS
- KNEE PAIN
- BACK PAIN
...then you most likely have adaptive muscle shortening.
Adaptive Muscle Shortening Is Holding You Back
Our muscles are the engine by which we move, impacting every aspect of our bodies whether we realize it or not. Unfortunately, muscles do not naturally maintain their healthy or ideal range of motion on their own. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Muscles will change their functional resting length to adapt to the length at which they are habitually used or positioned.
This is bad news for cyclists.
Cycling is one of the few activities in which muscles contract concentrically (while shortening), rather than eccentrically (while lengthening). The repetitive motion causes muscle fibres to shorten if action is not taken. Not only will shortened muscles impact your efficiency, comfort, and aerodynamics on the bike, but they will eventually lead to injury.
We're not just talking about a bit of soreness after a ride, tight muscles can cause a multitude of problems such as:
- Bad posture on and off the bike
- Trouble sleeping
- Low energy in day-to-day life
- Circulatory issues
- Knee pain
- Lower back pain
- Underdeveloped glutes
- High anxiety
If any of these sound familiar to you, don’t worry, because you’re not alone. Tight or shortened muscles affect nearly everyone, not just cyclists. But before we get to the solution, we have to take a look at the root cause of the problem.
85% of Cyclists Have an Anterior Pelvic Tilt
An Anterior Pelvic Tilt refers to a change in posture due to tightened psoas muscles and hip flexors. The front of the pelvis rotates forward, and the back of the pelvis rises. This leads to an increased curvature of the lower spine and upper back, and manifests with rounded shoulders, protruding stomach and weakened glutes and core muscles.
The Root of the Problem isnā€™t what you thinkā€¦
Each of us has our own pain points, whether it be tight shoulders and neck, hamstrings, quads, etc. However, what we may not realize is the root of these problems is all connected through one muscle–one you’ve probably never heard of, let alone trained or stretched.
Introducing the Hidden Muscle that is the key to unlocking your full potential.
The psoas (so-as) is the only muscle that connects the lower body to the upper body.
It is one of two muscles that makes up the iliopsoas, and is the bridge between your upper and lower body. Almost every movement involves the psoas, making it not only one of the most important muscles in the body, but also the secret to unlocking your full potential.
When the psoas is healthy and functioning correctly it creates a neutral pelvic alignment, stabilizing the hips and supporting the lower back and abdomen. When it is unbalanced or tight, there are serious consequences in almost every part of your body, showing up as a pelvic tilt.
What causes the psoas to shorten?
The cycling position isn’t entirely to blame, although the bent over posture does allow the psoas to become tight. Sitting, whether it be at a desk job, driving, or on the couch, will eventually lead to a shortened and underdeveloped psoas muscle.
Why isn’t everyone talking about this?
Diagnosing the root cause of symptoms can be tricky, and many health professionals struggle to pinpoint this muscle buried deep in your hips. Understand, that this is not your fault! However, now that you know, it’s up to you to do something about it. That’s where we come in.
Unlock your full potential through our sequential method.
Lengthening the muscles, especially the psoas, needs to be done in the right order, with balance and intention. Concentrating on one muscle before the other can actually add to the problem, rather than improving it.
This is why so many people give up when they don't experience results within the first few days. The reality is, lengthening the muscles takes time, but our plan will have you feeling the difference within a couple weeks.
While many of the stretches may be ones you already know, doing the movements in the right order and holding them for the right amount of time will make all the difference. Our goal is to help you unravel all the tissues including the muscle, fascia, connective tissue, and finally the joint itself.
WHO WE ARE.
Dynamic Cyclist is a team of cyclists that understand first hand the common injuries, issues and risks of cycling. Through extensive experience and working alongside industry professionals, we have put together a stretching program that tackles the root of the issue.
Here's the truth:
Most people don’t realize that the cause of their problems is tight or shortened muscles. The impact tight muscles have on the whole body never occurs to us until we start to experience the symptoms. It is only then that we truly understood the magnitude of the problem.
Shortened muscles and the resulting limited range of motion in the joints affects nearly everybody, but few realize they impact every aspect of the whole body. Diagnosing adaptive shortening can be tricky. Chances are, you won’t discover the problem until it has already limited your range of motion. The good thing is that it CAN be reversed.
Why stretching for 5 minutes before a ride isnā€™t the answer.
Knowing you have adaptive shortening in the muscles is one thing. Knowing how to take steps to reverse it is another challenge altogether.
Most of us were taught that stretching for a couple minutes before exercise would help loosen the muscles and prevent injury, but this is not the case. Holding a static stretch for 10 seconds will do nothing to lengthen the muscle, and barely scratches the surface of what needs to happen in the structure of the muscle.
Life is busy, so for most of us the idea of stretching for an hour every day may be an unrealistic goal. That’s where we come in.
Our stretching program has been designed to make the most of your time, targeting problem areas in a specific sequence to attack muscles from a variety of angles. Muscles have to be unpacked and balanced in a particular way to have the desired result.
It is a combination of practices maintained over time that will help your muscles lengthen and sustain a healthy range of motion, especially as you age.
INTRODUCING DYNAMIC CYCLIST
Unlock your muscles with our easy to follow videos.
PREVENT INJURY
Everything in the body is connected, and as cyclists we demand a lot from our muscles, joints and ligaments. Stretching keeps the connections strong, treating and preventing injury, improving functionality and longevity – keeping you riding for years to come.
ACCELERATE RECOVERY
Stretching reduces muscle soreness and stiffness by increasing blood flow, delivering more nutrients to your muscles and removing lactic acid and metabolites. Stretching also promotes whole body relaxation; boosting recovery, rejuvenation and adaptation by increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system after exercise.
IMPROVE POSTURE
Stretching the right muscles can help correct poor posture both on and off the bike. By lengthening tight muscles that pull areas of the body away from their natural position you can maintain proper posture without the desire to round the back or slouch.
LONGEVITY
Over time and with age, the body starts dehydrating and stiffening. On a cellular level, muscle fibres start developing cross-links with parallel fibers making them stick together. Stretching slows this process by stimulating the production of tissue lubricants and pulling the interwoven cellular cross links back into an ordered state.
INCREASE RANGE OF MOTION
Your range of motion is the distance that parts of you body can move and rotate before causing damage to muscles and tendons. Everyone naturally has a different range of motion, but stretching can help you define what that looks like for you. As cyclists, we have to have the freedom and flexibility to move without resistance or pain.
INCREASE MUSCLE POWER
Power is positively affected by the length of the muscle, as power comes from the contraction of the muscle. Increasing muscle length through regular stretching increases the potential power produced by this contraction.
Combating adaptive shortening can be easy with our sequential approach.
Lengthening the muscles needs to be done in the right order, with balance and intention. Concentrating on one muscle before the other can actually add to the problem, rather than improving it.
We provide daily, 15-20 minute videos that are easy to follow and will have you experiencing real results. Yes, you could go to yoga class instead, but our programs are built specifically by, and for, cyclists. Plus, you don't have to leave your living room.
Stretching should be a preventative practice, so don't wait until injury strikes before you start.
Boost Speed, Strength and Endurance
Increased flexibility allows you to generate more power and promote efficiency of muscles through the increased speed at which proteins are synthesized in muscle fibres and improved position and posture.
Ride Pain Free
Everything in the body is connected, and as cyclists we demand a lot from on our muscles, joints and ligaments. Stretching not only combats adaptive muscle shortening, but also keeps connections strong, treating and preventing injury, improving functionality and longevity – keeping you riding for years to come.
Accelerate Recovery
Stretching reduces muscle soreness and stiffness by increasing blood flow, delivering more nutrients to your muscles and removing lactic acid and metabolites. Stretching also promotes whole body relaxation; boosting recovery, rejuvenation and adaptation by increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system after exercise.
"I love how easy to follow the videos are, they have made stretching every day simple and fast!"
Rob
"I could never get into yoga....but I love the Dynamic Cyclist stretching routines and how they target all the right places!"
Cindy
"I am coming off a back injury, and just started the Dynamic Cyclist stretch series. WOW! This is a great program! Thanks so much for taking the time to create it!"
David
"For everyone like me who lacks the discipline and know-how to stretch effectively, this is for you! The Dynamic Cyclist routines are simple and effective, and being able to do them from home is a huge bonus."
Michelle
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Stop procrastinating and living with pain. Start today and unlock your full potential both on and off the bike!
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Daily, easy to follow stretching videos.
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15-20 minutes in length.
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Designed specifically for cyclists, by cyclists.
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100% Satisfaction Guarantee
FREE 7 Day Trial
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SPECIAL OFFER
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Spend less time thinking about how and what to stretch, and more time in the saddle.
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