How to Warm up and Cool Down Before and After Bike Rides

WARM UP & COOL DOWN

Quad Stretch

Stand on one leg, bend the opposite knee and pull your heel toward your butt. Reach behind to grab your ankle and gently stretch your Quadriceps, hold for 5 seconds. Switch leg and repeat 3 times.

Lunge

Hands on hips, feet parallel take a giant step forward, bend the front leg at the knee, keep the back leg straight. Gently stretch your calf and hamstring muscles, hold five second, switch legs and repeat 3 times.

Leg Swing

Leg straight, swing front to back, repeat 10 times, use bike for support if necessary, switch legs, repeat. Repeat again swinglng leg from side to side 10 times, switch legs.

Circle Arms

Both arms straight and parallel to the ground, begin with making small backward circles and expand circle size until are are circling straight up and down during a 10 count. Reverse direction.

Torso Twist: Twist your upper back from side to side, and do forward bends to warm up up your back. Twist from the waste in a circle: side, back, side, front. Repeat 3 times, reverse direction.

Knee Run: Run in place lifting our knee as high as you can in the front, run for 15-20 seconds.

Begin your ride with approximately 10 minutes of easy pedaling on relatively level ground.

End your rides slowly, giving the blood a chance to get flowing and the muscles a chance to cool down when you are done.

Go out and have fun - It's Your World, Ride it