Are you tempted to just sit down, scroll through your Instagram feed, check your email, wash your dishes or do hundreds of other things you have to get done on any given day rather than cooling down or cleaning up post-ride?
It may seem harmless, but you could be missing some key components of a good workout and a proper recovery. If you find yourself committing any of these sinful habits post-ride, here’s how to clean up your habit and finish your ride right!
1. Cool down
Many athletes forgets the role of a proper cool down, and they let it slide. But the importance of the cool down is to let the muscle move without any resistance, which can help to clear metabolic byproducts such as lactic acids from our muscles.
If you skip a cooling process, not only do you let the lactic acids build up, but the risk of your blood pooling in your leg may lead to possible cramps or injuries.
Image via : Byrdie
2. Don’t get too comfortable in your kit
It’s easier to come back home from a ride and make a recovery snack or smoothie, check your emails, or watch a couple videos to rest. By the time you finally hit the shower, you might have been marinating too long in your cycling kit. This may lead to saddle sore, infections and even illness, especially in a post-pandemic era.
So, do yourself a favour and drop your bike shorts and jump into the showers as soon as possible post-ride, then complete the task you want to do.
3. Fill up on junk
It is only common to treat yourself to a cone of ice cream after a post intense ride, but many may accidentally fall into overeating. If you’re ever worried about overeating, try avoiding a meal with a lot of fat and skipping that pastry you wanted with a healthier option.
As fats slow down your digestions and your want protein and carbs into your cells as fast as possible post-ride for recovery. For example, it’s better to have potatoes and lean chicken in your meal without a lot of fats or fibre for quick and easy absorptions.
image via : Garden Eats
4. Skip stretching
Maintaining mobility is so important for every athlete, and being a cyclist you’re in a hunched position more than others. Thus, when you neglect mobility work, in the long run it can affect your performance.
It is best to spend 15-30 minutes on mobility work before and after each ride. It can be as simple as moving your shoulders, lifting your arms over your head, performing some windmill with your arms a few times and some lunge stretches. It is also good to invest in some resistance bands or foam rollers, which can help target specific knotty muscles and sore areas.
So, you’ve cooled down appropriately, you’ve taken on board the right carbs and protein, the proper stretches. What else is there to do to recover properly after a long bike ride? Well, the answer is nothing but rest. One key things you need to do after a strenuous exercise is to rest and recover.
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