Dirt and Trail July 2020

BASEFIT
WHY YOUR BIKE
IS CAUSING YOU
BACK PAIN
Lower back –
Supermans
By Mandy Thomas, BASE FIT: Specialised in Fitness for Dirt Bike Riding
You are on the most
amazing ride with your
friends then that dull back
ache starts to kick in. What’s
worse, is after the ride
your back goes into spasms
causing you to hobble
around like a cripple for a
few days. The thing that is
meant to give you pleasure
is causing you pain.
So the problem is not the bike,
nor is it you. It is your preparation
for the ride that needs fine tuning.
The very nature of riding has its
roots in endurance, which means
you need to prepare your muscles
to sustain endurance-based
activities. As your core is what
takes the most pounding when
you ride, it is important to do your
physical prep work off the bike so
you can endure long rides pain free.
When you ride you are mostly in
a static bent forward position over
an extended period of time. This
causes your glutes (butt muscles)
and your posterior deltoids and
trapezius (upper back muscles)
to become lengthened. While
simultaneously your hip flexors
and pectorals (chest muscles)
become shortened. Holding this
position over a long period of time,
repeated over and over again can
cause an imbalance between your
posterior chain and anterior chain.
This means your body becomes
rounded in a C-shape. This
unnatural position puts huge strain
on the entire back, lower, middle
and upper as your posture is
misaligned, similarly to those who
sit at in offices for most of the day.
Now, I don’t have to explain the
difference between a bike and a
chair, but realizing that your back
is not supported in a hunched
over position so it does not take
much for the aggressive movement
of a bike to jolt the body into a
spasm. This is why your back is so
vulnerable when you ride.
Your solution is simple. You
need to do exercises which
counter act the C-shape caused
by the riding position. To open
your frame up you must lengthen
your chest muscles and stretch
out your hip flexors. Then you
need to strengthen your upper
back muscles and allow them to
shorten slightly by avoiding to
much stretching. You will also
need to strengthen your glutes
and lower back.
Below are some exercises which I
suggest you incorporate into your
weekly fitness regime.
1. Lower back – Supermans *
Strengthens lower back (primary)
and glutes (secondary) as well as
stretches out hip flexors.
2. Glutes – Glute bridge walk outs
* Strengthens glutes (primary) and
lower back (secondary) as well as
stretches out hip flexors.
3. Upper back - Overhead squats*
Tightens upper and middle
posterior chain while stretching
out chest.
4. Upper back – Rear delt
kickbacks* Tightens upper and
middle posterior chain while
stretching out chest.
As with any sport you need
to prepare. Just because you are
sitting or standing on a bike, does
not mean the bike is doing all the
work and you can just coast. The
bike is just an extension of you so
ensure your muscles that support
your spine, as well as the muscles
which attach to the spine are strong
and balanced.
If you need a program to assist
you in relieving back pain please
mail me on mandy@basefit.co.za
with the heading BACK PAIN
Mandy Thomas – Base Fit
Overhead
squats
Glute bridge
walk outs
Rear delt
kickbacks
88 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE JULY 2020