Barton Haynes here, continuing my series on healthy riding as summer heats up, and along with it the cycling season.
Stretching is cycling’s best friend
![](http://www.barthaynes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Barton-Haynes-Muscle-1024x678.jpg)
Muscle tightness is another thing most of us cyclists deal with in the hips and calves. Riding is kind of an ideal sport for developing tight muscles: your hips are always collapses, and you repetitiously repeat the same small movement for many hours on end.
Preventing tightness is actually quite easy. Stretching. Pre-ride stretchingis something that make muscle tightness and associated cramping completely go away. Not only does stretching prevent tightness, but it’s also a great pre-ride warm up exercise for:
- Hips
- Hamstrings
- Lower back
- Neck
- Calves
Best stretches for cycling
![](http://www.barthaynes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Barton-Haynes-Stretches-1024x684.jpg)
My favorite stretches for biking are:
- Low lunge for hips
- Pigeon posefor gluts, hip flexors, IT band, and lower back
- Pyramid Posefor hamstring
- Calf stretches on a curb
- Chin tucks for neck
There are many other stretches that can help cycling in small ways, and picking up an occasional yoga class is something I highly advocate for regular cyclists.