4 Exercises for Cycling Recovery

At Well Set, we love to partner with awesome, local gyms. One of our favorites is cycling studio High Ride!  From the amazing, high energy instructors to their positive and empowering vibe, we absolutely love this spot. If you’ve been there even once, then you know what we’re talking about – this crew is truly something special.

Though, as much as we love cycling, sometimes our bodies need a little love after those super tough classes. From the amount of people popping into Well Set recently with cycling-related injuries, we know your’s do, too.

To help you out, we decided that it’s time to highlight some of the exercises you need to know to keep you injury-free on the bike.   We dropped a lot of knowledge on you below, though, so never hesitate to reach out to us or to ask your practitioner questions.

Here are our top four exercises you need to know for cycling recovery – a little bit of everything from strengthening to mobility to icing techniques you can use to help you recover and prepare for your next ride injury-free.

Calf Strengthening

Great for: Increasing strength in the arch of the foot, achilles tendon, and calf

Why: Greater strength in the foot and calf means being able to pedal faster and stronger- with less recovery time in between rides

What you need: Yourself! (aka, no additional equipment needed)

How it’s done:

1. Start with your feet place about hip distance apart

2. Rise up onto your toes, lift opposite foot off the ground

3. Slowly lower back down onto your heel (about 3-5 seconds!)- that is one rep

4. Perform 10 reps on each leg for 2 sets

Calf Lacrosse Ball Release

Great for: Recovery after class

Why: This stretch is great to decrease soreness in the calf and foot

What you need: Lacrosse Ball or RockBall (we’re big fans of the spikey RockBall!)

How it’s done:

1. Start in a seated position, place the lacrosse ball in between the calf and hamstring, and grasp with both hands around the top of your foot.

2. Then, point toes up to the ceiling and then towards the floor. Perform this stretch for about 10-20 reps on each calf.

Glute Foam Rolling

Great for: Decreasing soreness in the glutes and lower back

Why: Cycling out of the saddle is great to build strength in your glutes and core but when those muscles are tight the next day do this stretch to prevent injury

What you need: Foam Roller

How it’s done:

1. Place foam roller under quadriceps muscle and roll down the muscle until you find a spot that needs work/feels a bit sore

2. Flex and extend knee for about 10-15 reps on each spot

3. Move down the muscle to find another spot and repeat

Cryotherapy for Foot Arch

Great for: Decreasing pain in your foot and ankle after class

Why: Ice helps get rid of inflammation in muscles- you have a bunch of small muscles in the bottom of your foot that are worked hard during a cycling class (especially on those climbs!)

What you need: Cryosphere or frozen water bottle

How it’s done:

1. This one is simple. Just place your cryosphere under the arch of your foot and use your weight to massage arch while using ice to decrease inflammation.

Extra Pro Tip:

Always remember to chat with your instructor before class about any limitations or injuries you have. Your instructor will usually be able to help with adjustments of your bike to help prevent further injury!

Recovery After Cycling Classes is Incredibly Important

Now that you are fully equipped with all the recovery you could need for a cycling class- check out our friends at High Ride. We promise you’ll love the atmosphere, the music, and the awesome instructors. Tell them we sent you!