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If it is an emphatic yes for swimming to cure
the back pain, it is a strong no to the cycling, unfortunately. Millions
of children and youth all over the world may not like this observation,
but facts are facts.
Cycling done for long hours, contributes to many types of bodily imbalances, and may aggravate
your back pain. However, cycling done for short durations may not do any
major damage. It should be treated as just one of those exercises.
It is generally believed that cycling is one of the best methods to control
and improve your overall fitness. While you do cycling, you get exercise
to every part of your body. As you peddle, it is a good breathing
exercise as well, provided you do it properly. But cycling has some
disadvantages, especially if you have back pain. Cycling activity may
not be possible at all, in case of acute back pain.
Cycling leads you to muscular imbalances. You may get chronic pain in certain parts of
your body. It can never help you control your back pain.
Examine
your riding posture on the cycle. Let’s start from the feet and then
move up to the head.
Pedaling is a strenuous job, and it puts
lots of stress on your calves. Tight calves mean your feet will flatten
with lots of stress on the heel cord, knees and planter fascia. The
major stress bearing muscles in cycling are the quadriceps.
Lots
of cycling and the bent over cycling position is the cause of tightness
in the quadriceps and the psoas (hip flexors). Now, you know the most
damaging aspect of this position while cycling.
Pelvis moves out of the optimal position and goes for a forward
tilt. This is the beginning of the muscle imbalance. This is also the
starting point of the strain of the lower back. There is lots of strain
on the abdominals also. The hamstrings get overworked as you peddle
forward, and they become tight.
The shoulders
and the mid back have to bear the brunt. As you cycle your back is
rounded and you with the back pain try to continue in a very difficult
position. The shoulders are hiked up and pulled forward and you can well
imagine the impact of it, if you continue cycling for longer duration.
The back pain will make you get down from the cycle automatically. If you
still persist, neck tension and pain are guaranteed.
So, cycling
can cause certain serious imbalances to your existing state of back
pain. Why think of this exercise now? Postpone it for a future date,
when you are completely cured form all sorts of back pain. Wait for some
months!
Latest and better models of cycles are arriving in the
market and they need your solid
'back'ing!
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