Mountain Bike Riding - Performance And Recovery

One of the best parts about mountain biking, other than being one of the most fun activities on the planet, is that it’s a good workout. Especially if you’re a newer rider, you’ll be sore in ways you never have been before. As with any physical activity, implementing a proper routine of preparation and recovery can help you to maximize your time on the mountain bike, and minimize your time injured or recovering. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite post-ride recover exercises, so strap on that bike helmet, and let’s get to it.

One of the most common pain points for mountain bikers is the lower back. Spending a long time in the saddle can build up fatigue and pain that will leave you limping. Many back problems actually start in other areas of the body, including your hips and hamstrings. If these muscles aren’t working properly, your back steps in to pick up the slack. So, we’re going to focus on your hamstrings and hip flexors. Keeping loose here will help your back, too.

The first recovery exercise focuses on your hip flexors, and you don’t even need to change out of your bike shorts, in fact, you can even do this in the middle of a ride! Focus on your breathes and relaxation as you do this one. 

While your quads put out the power on the bike, your hamstrings are part of the part, too, and they can be a major culprit for back pain. For riders doing a lot of descending or riding in the bike park, this is especially important - the aggressive downhill riding stance puts a lot of strain on your hammies. Here’s an exercise similar to foam rolling that can help work out soreness. 

Another common sore spot for mountain bikers is the forearms. Long days holding tight onto your handlebars can leave you barely able to hold up your beer when its time to apres, but fear not - you can foam roll your forearms! Check out the technique below with some pointers for rolling out your forearms. 

These are just a few of many active recovery exercises that are great for mountain biking. For more, check out our mountain bike recovery guides. When you put in the work off of the bike it allows you to go even harder when you are riding, so remember to take care of your body, and it will take care of you.