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FIT FOR DUTY. . .FIT FOR LIFE! |
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BIKING
RIGHT AND BIKING FOR FITNESS
Submitted
by CDR Rita B. Shapiro, USPHS, Chair, Readiness Committee, Therapist
Professional Advisory Committee
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| Bike Fitness |
| October was the American
Physical Therapy Association’s National Physical Therapy Month and this year the feature was biking
for fitness while minimizing injury.
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| What are the Benefits of Biking? |
| Biking is an excellent non-impact aerobic
exercise program. You can bike indoors on an exercise bike or enjoy the fresh
air on a street bike. We have also seen the level of competition that biking
can offer with events like the Tour de France. We teach young children to begin
riding bikes at a young age to help them develop their balance and
coordination. A bike is an outstanding mode of exercise for rehabilitation of
ankle sprains, knee injuries, joint replacement surgeries, etc. Best of all, in
general, there are no age boundaries for biking. But, as always, if you have
any medical conditions, you should first consult your health care provider
before engaging in strenuous physical exercise.
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| How Should the Bike Fit?
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| Whether you ride for recreation or
competition or for your own wellness or aerobic conditioning, a proper fit on a
regular or an exercise bike is of utmost importance to ensure comfort and
prevent injury or unnecessary pain. Below are a few tips for ensuring a
good comfortable fit and minimizing the possibility for excess strain or
injury.
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| Seat/Saddle
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| You need to be sure that the seat/saddle
is a good fit for your hips/buttocks. The seat should not be too narrow. A
narrow seat/saddle can give you pressure areas in the groin and the tail bone
area (coccyx). The seat/saddle should not be too wide because it will not only
give you pressure areas along the bottom of the buttocks (ischial
tuberocities), but an extra wide seat can actually restrict your hip range of
motion necessary for pedaling the bike.
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| Bike Frame |
| An exercise bike’s frame size is not as
critical as the frame of a regular bike. When it comes to the street and/or
racing bicycles, the rider and the bike should fit well together. To measure
the correct frame for your body size, carefully review the manufacturer’s
recommendations and seek assistance from the bike shop sales associates. There
are a couple of simple ways that you can test for yourself if the bike fits you
well. Here a few recommendations:
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Begin by getting up on the bike while your toes still touch the ground while
you are on the seat. To prevent excess strain on the neck, lower back and
shoulders, check the handlebars position. The higher the handlebars, the more
weight will be placed on the seat/saddle. Generally, taller riders should have
lower handlebars in relation to the height of the saddle.
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Next, check the pedal length. When in the full down
stroke, the knee should be slightly bent, not fully stretched or
straight leg that you have to hike your other hip to get the pedal all
the way around. This is because if the leg is fully stretched, it would
not only reduce the efficiency of the pedaling force, but could also
produce excessive stress on the knee and the hip
joints.
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| In addition to above sizing
considerations, one must not forget how important it is to do proper
stretching, balance, and flexibility exercises. Make sure to do calf stretches,
hamstring stretches, neck mobility, shoulder stretches, and shoulder rolls to
name a few. For balance, you could work on unsupported squats and walking on
toes and heels. These are just a few suggestions. Check out, “Stretch into
Shape -- 5 exercises to keep you flexible and prevent injuries,” at
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-2-69-210-4179-1,00.html a
few stretching exercises.
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| Your choice of footwear for bicycling is
also important: A soft-soled shoe is best for comfort and flexibility, as the
soft-soled shoe will grab the pedal better than a hard-soled shoe. If you want
the special bike shoes with clips, you should speak with professional bike
sales personnel.
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| With these preparation suggestions in
mind, let’s get out and bike for fitness before old man winter arrives!
Remember to exercise regularly for fitness and let fitness be a way of your
life.
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| Most of the above information is obtained
from the American Physical Therapy Association. For more information, please
visit http://www.apta.org/AM/Images/APTAIMAGES/ContentImages/bikefit/
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| The series “Fit For Duty…Fit for Life!” is
a lifestyle-based column provided by the USPHS Dietitian/Nutritionist
Professional Advisory Committee (D/N-PAC). We welcome and appreciate ongoing
contributions to this column from the Therapist Professional Advisory Committee
(T-PAC). If you have related topics of interest that you would like to learn
more about in future articles, contact CAPT Jean Makie, USPHS, at
jean.makie@fda.hhs.gov.
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