12 Stretches to Stay Loose on & Off the Bike

Target all your riding muscles to stay lithe and limber in just 10 minutes per day

Have you heard that stretching can dramatically reduce performance? Well, it's true, especially if you hold long, static stretches right before performing explosive exercises. The good news is that any negative effects are transitory, so you shouldn't use it as an excuse not to stretch. Intuitively we already know that, don't we? As stretching tight, achy muscles tends to make us feel better, even if we're loathed to do it.

And research shows that the benefits of stretching aren't limited to the specific muscle you're working on. Instead, stretching affects the nervous system, increasing the parasympathetic, or rest and digest response, which in turn reduces stress and allows you to relax and recover faster. It's why a dynamic warm-up is better than static stretching before sporting activities, as you need to prime the nervous system while taking your limbs through the full range of motion required for the activity. Not relax.

TIME IT RIGHT

So timing is important. For static stretching you only need to hold the stretch for 30 seconds to reap most of the benefits. The stretch should be at the end-range of motion but not so extreme as to be painful. In fact, easier is more effective in the long run as it's more relaxing and safer. Also, stretching the same muscle group repeatedly in the same session isn't as beneficial as stretching it frequently. So if your quads are tight, it's much better to stretch them for three bouts of 30 seconds every day (10.5 minutes total per week) than to stretch them for 10 minutes in one session once a week.