Stretching

I do sometimes need to rememver to all the time , don't want to be to dependant on muscle relaxants

Stretch, Yoga, and work out other ways once in a while. Also take a break from the bike, or get a road bike to keep stamina up, but change the impact levels.

dave lawrence wrote:

Stretch, Yoga, and work out other ways once in a while. Also take a break from the bike, or get a road bike to keep stamina up, but change the impact levels.

But what are good stretches to do?

I'll record video of a few and post a private video on YouTube and share the link here tonight. I know a few that help a lot

Do some rolling and twisting stretches. They're way easier to show than explain but I'll try to help because I had this issue. I was on 8.5 inch rise bars with a topload and just put my 8.66 bars that are a little more narrow and it helped my lower back just right. haha .16 of an inch mattered. Maybe look into going to bigger bars or figuring out how to relax better while on the bike.

Lemme talk you through the main causes of why your back is hurting. One, you probably need to do some abdominal workouts. It REALLY helps your back. Instead of your back having to rely on just itself to hold you up, stronger core muscles will help protect it. Definitely worth a shot dude.

Two. Bike set up. If you have a not long enough frame or too low of bars, that's gonna hurt your back. i'm not on the current with your current setup, so idk, but maybe flip the frontload or upgrade to a quarter inch higher bars. No need to go stupid overboard and go to 10 inchers or something.

three. BREATHING. Breath out when you are landing a trick. Proper breathing while riding helps. I catch people holding their breath when they are riding and landing tricks. You gotta breath from your core if that makes sense. Definitely helped me.

And as for stretched, the touching your toes is only mildly helpful. Breath into your stomach a bit more when you're bent like that and it'll help stretch your back.

Try the rolling stretches on the flat ground. Literally ball up and roll back and forth on your back for a bit. while breathing healthily in and out with movement.

Try to lay on your back and bring your legs back over your head and breath.

Lay on your back and let your waist twist one way and your upper body twist the other and breath. It'll loosen your back muscles up. There are tons of stretches, I'd show you what works for me before riding. I didn't do them one day and i honestly did not ride nearly as well.

Also, drink more water, it's good for your muscles.

MaximusBikes wrote:

Do some rolling and twisting stretches. They're way easier to show than explain but I'll try to help because I had this issue. I was on 8.5 inch rise bars with a topload and just put my 8.66 bars that are a little more narrow and it helped my lower back just right. haha .16 of an inch mattered. Maybe look into going to bigger bars or figuring out how to relax better while on the bike.

Lemme talk you through the main causes of why your back is hurting. One, you probably need to do some abdominal workouts. It REALLY helps your back. Instead of your back having to rely on just itself to hold you up, stronger core muscles will help protect it. Definitely worth a shot dude.

Two. Bike set up. If you have a not long enough frame or too low of bars, that's gonna hurt your back. i'm not on the current with your current setup, so idk, but maybe flip the frontload or upgrade to a quarter inch higher bars. No need to go stupid overboard and go to 10 inchers or something.

three. BREATHING. Breath out when you are landing a trick. Proper breathing while riding helps. I catch people holding their breath when they are riding and landing tricks. You gotta breath from your core if that makes sense. Definitely helped me.

And as for stretched, the touching your toes is only mildly helpful. Breath into your stomach a bit more when you're bent like that and it'll help stretch your back.

Try the rolling stretches on the flat ground. Literally ball up and roll back and forth on your back for a bit. while breathing healthily in and out with movement.

Try to lay on your back and bring your legs back over your head and breath.

Lay on your back and let your waist twist one way and your upper body twist the other and breath. It'll loosen your back muscles up. There are tons of stretches, I'd show you what works for me before riding. I didn't do them one day and i honestly did not ride nearly as well.

Also, drink more water, it's good for your muscles.

"Lemme talk you through the main causes of why your back is hurting. One, you probably need to do some abdominal workouts. It REALLY helps your back. Instead of your back having to rely on just itself to hold you up, stronger core muscles will help protect it. Definitely worth a shot dude."

This so much. Last Summer I started having horrible back pain, found out I had herniated a disc in my lower back. Still unsure what exactly caused it, but I was at the point where I couldn't even walk without being in immense pain. Got 2 epidural shots over the course of about 2 or 3 months & before & after those I got prednisone pills prescribed for me, really helped but you aren't at that stage yet and hopefully you don't need to be. I'm pill free aside from some NSAID ones like Aleve occasionally. Now onto stretches and what not…

If you're having back problems, I can help majorly with it if it's lower(maybe upper too, not very sure if it applies to there as well) Do core strengthening exercises like planks, side planks, bridges, stuff like that. Avoid sit ups/crunches though, they can make the pain worse actually. I do these every other day, and stretch everyday. I do hamstring stretches where you lay on your back with 1 leg flat and bring the other leg to your chest with your knee bent and pull it in with your arms to get a good stretch. Do that for both legs. Sometimes I lay on my back with both knees bent and straighten 1 leg at a time and move it towards me for a good stretch too. I do a few calf stretches too. You can look all of these up online too but if you're having problems with your back, make sure to include "good stretches for hurting back" or something. Or even "stretches to avoid when you have back pain" or stuff like that. There's tons out there

Have a pretty girl rub your back after a long session.

I do yoga sometimes and it seems to help. Last summer, if I would have been going to two skateparks in one day and riding for nearly twelve hours in 80 degrees, my body would have been dead for days afterwards. Now, I wake up the next morning and want to do it again.

Stocksy wrote:

Have a pretty girl rub your back after a long session.

I do yoga sometimes and it seems to help. Last summer, if I would have been going to two skateparks in one day and riding for nearly twelve hours in 80 degrees, my body would have been dead for days afterwards. Now, I wake up the next morning and want to do it again.

I talk my mom into stepping on my back sometimes if my back needs a good crack. Weirdly enough its never after i ride. Just ifi sleep weird or sit on the couch. haha

Get people to walk on your back, there is usually someone nice out there that'll help you out.

Stocksy wrote:

Have a pretty girl rub your back after a long session.

I do yoga sometimes and it seems to help. Last summer, if I would have been going to two skateparks in one day and riding for nearly twelve hours in 80 degrees, my body would have been dead for days afterwards. Now, I wake up the next morning and want to do it again.

Ok, you have to provide the pretty girl though. Haha

My back got messed up a couple years ago when i tried to jump off a 12' balcony but my foot hit the rail and made me flip over. It got better but is easily injured. Last summer i basically just sucked it up and rode throught the pain. I've done planks and they hurt while i'm doing them but somtimes make me feel better afterwards. I'll start doing them regularly. As for bigger bars, not gonna happen. I tried 9" but i just couldn't hop high enough, 8.5 is where it's at for me.

Roll your back with one of those back rollers. Core strength. Stretches. Fill your body with nutrients. Don't slouch.

Studies show that extension stretching before activity make you more likely to pull or harm muscle tissues.

Do some heavy deadlifts to strengthen your core and back

SafetyFirst wrote:

Do some heavy deadlifts to strengthen your core and back

don't do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
learn how to deadlift correctly, otherwise you will fuck up your back even more, its not a safe exercise unless you know what you;re doing

also going for heavy weight is really stupid, work your weight up so you dont screw up your back

source: kids in my weights class that now look like quasimoto from incorrect deadlifts

SafetyFirst wrote:

Do some heavy deadlifts to strengthen your core and back

bmxsteve99 wrote:

don't do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
learn how to deadlift correctly, otherwise you will fuck up your back even more, its not a safe exercise unless you know what you;re doing

also going for heavy weight is really stupid, work your weight up so you dont screw up your back

source: kids in my weights class that now look like quasimoto from incorrect deadlifts

Well of course you would have to progress to heavy weights, but consistently staying at or below 135lbs wont make your back much stronger.

Stocksy wrote:

Have a pretty girl rub your back after a long session.

I do yoga sometimes and it seems to help. Last summer, if I would have been going to two skateparks in one day and riding for nearly twelve hours in 80 degrees, my body would have been dead for days afterwards. Now, I wake up the next morning and want to do it again.

^ this x2 have the pretty girl be a certified massage therapist and pay for a 30 minute session weekly. Completely worth it.

Also go get an x-ray lower spine injuries are common from "overuse" of you bike. Herniated discs turn into disintegrating disc which turn into fused vertebrae (mine is nearing the bone on bone stage. Bone grinding all the time, it feels WONDERFUL) foolow all advice except going to the chiropractor