Hips don’t lie

As part of our week of Anti-Social Social, Rich Follett from Fit4-Physio gives us his hints on some hip, pelvis and spine mobility drills.

Maybe Shakira was right when she sang “the hips don’t lie” in 2005 (had to google the year)……

Let’s be honest, we all tend to spend a lot of time sitting – especially at this time of year with shorter daylight hours and rain rain rain. Whether it’s at the home office (COVID problems), in the car, on the sofa or on your favoured mode of 2 wheeled transport. Our hips end up flexed in these positions – and for long periods of the day. Add to that the fact that the vast majority of us grab a bike and just ride without really looking after our bodies particularly well and it’s a recipe for problems! When was the last time you did some stretching or mobility work after a ride?

In addition to tightness in the front of the hips, we tend to work our lower back and glute muscles pretty hard on the bike. This can lead to tension and overload of certain muscle groups. Not a bad thing necessarily but when this combination of “load” on our body system leads to imbalance around the hips / pelvis / spine, it can lead to problems. 

We’re not just talking pain either….. performance problems are prevalent too whether it’s the ability to push hard or having the appropriate mobility for your cycling discipline, maybe unlocking those hips could be the key to cycling utopia!?

The exercises suggested here are generic hip, pelvis and spine mobility drills. They don’t replace a detailed and individualised approach that is required for some problems – for that, it is advised you Ride Sheffield supporters see your trusted physio (ideally with cycling specific knowledge) – oh, that’s us at Fit4-Physio! 

However, you might want to give some of these a try. There’s no hard and fast rule around how many to do or when to do them. Find what works for you. Have a go. Challenge yourself and see where your limitations lie. If you struggle or find something particularly painful, contact us and I’m sure we’ll be able to help.

At Fit4-Physio we wish you all a very healthy and happy Christmas period and hope 2021 is a belter of a year for everyone.  Happy riding.