Is cycling good or bad for your back?
Discussion
OK, last week I was off work due to a bad back.
Protruding disk apparently and trapping some nerves. Far more pain than I'd ever given those with a "bad back" credit for in the past, to be honest.
Couldn't stand or sit, so lying down watching films seemed to be the wisest choice
Anyway, basically it bears down to this:
Should I be getting on the bike sooner or later in order to strengthen my back muscles?
Usual cycling:
I'm googling round for some other back exercises at the mo, but don't want to cock things up by thinking cycling will be a good thing IF it's actually bad. Only really considering #1 & poss #2 in a week or 2 until things improve...
Protruding disk apparently and trapping some nerves. Far more pain than I'd ever given those with a "bad back" credit for in the past, to be honest.
Couldn't stand or sit, so lying down watching films seemed to be the wisest choice
Anyway, basically it bears down to this:
Should I be getting on the bike sooner or later in order to strengthen my back muscles?
Usual cycling:
- Cycle to work 3 days a week (only 5k each way so not exactly far, but I use a heavy mtb so it's a bit more work)
- Night ride round various woods one eve a week
- Occasional day away to trail centre (Brechfa) when I get my card stamped
I'm googling round for some other back exercises at the mo, but don't want to cock things up by thinking cycling will be a good thing IF it's actually bad. Only really considering #1 & poss #2 in a week or 2 until things improve...
I'd say a cautious "yes". I suffered a collapsed disc a few years ago along with the associated siatic pain. I kid you not when I say it's the worse i've ever felt and it took me a good 5 months to sort myself out, there is no quick fix not even surgery to fuse discs.
The one thing that came out of it all was the need to loose some weight and gain in overall muscle fitness. According to my consultant at the time the best excersise was swimming, cycling he said was OK, but no "impact" fitness, he said running caused more problems.
I commute to work on the bike, enjoy it and feel much better for it. I just wouldn't push it too hard and would not do it until I felt 100%. Another thing I would do it a while without clips as I think it may be better if your still suffering from siatic pain.
The one thing that came out of it all was the need to loose some weight and gain in overall muscle fitness. According to my consultant at the time the best excersise was swimming, cycling he said was OK, but no "impact" fitness, he said running caused more problems.
I commute to work on the bike, enjoy it and feel much better for it. I just wouldn't push it too hard and would not do it until I felt 100%. Another thing I would do it a while without clips as I think it may be better if your still suffering from siatic pain.
Similar story here. Prolapsed disc 5 years ago and I tried to keep running afterwards but it was just too painful.
Switched to mountain biking and it's made a huge difference. It's great at exercising the core muscles as you're constantly twisting around trying to maintain balance. Very little impact and what little there is is taken up by your arms and legs.
I would though worry about road biking being hunched over in one position for long periods of time
My back still 'goes' about once a year and I get the odd dead leg feeling in my left leg but it's never stopped me riding and I've never felt the riding has made things worse or hurt my back even through one of these episodes.
Switched to mountain biking and it's made a huge difference. It's great at exercising the core muscles as you're constantly twisting around trying to maintain balance. Very little impact and what little there is is taken up by your arms and legs.
I would though worry about road biking being hunched over in one position for long periods of time
My back still 'goes' about once a year and I get the odd dead leg feeling in my left leg but it's never stopped me riding and I've never felt the riding has made things worse or hurt my back even through one of these episodes.
Edited by Gren on Monday 13th October 14:05
I've had chronic back pain since breaking it as a lad. It may be different for you but my experiences are
- when it's a bit achy - cycling kills it. I avoid my road bike unless I've been pain free for a week and have been able to stretch it out
- set up for my road bike is very important. It may not be aerodynamic but setting the handlebars a bit higher and making sure you're not stretched in the 'cockpit' is very important to how long I can stay on
- standing out the saddle for a quick 'pelvic thrust' helps to keep going. Don't do this outside schools around 3pm.
- my MB is generally better but I need to be careful about too much compression. I use a full suspension bike to absorb the hits.
- swimming is far better for my back than cycling. I hate swimming but since it allows me to cycle and run, I persevere
Overall when my back is OK, cycling helps strengthen it but it doesn't 'fix' it when it's already sore. Swimming does.
- when it's a bit achy - cycling kills it. I avoid my road bike unless I've been pain free for a week and have been able to stretch it out
- set up for my road bike is very important. It may not be aerodynamic but setting the handlebars a bit higher and making sure you're not stretched in the 'cockpit' is very important to how long I can stay on
- standing out the saddle for a quick 'pelvic thrust' helps to keep going. Don't do this outside schools around 3pm.
- my MB is generally better but I need to be careful about too much compression. I use a full suspension bike to absorb the hits.
- swimming is far better for my back than cycling. I hate swimming but since it allows me to cycle and run, I persevere
Overall when my back is OK, cycling helps strengthen it but it doesn't 'fix' it when it's already sore. Swimming does.
I had sciatica earlier this year (about 7 weeks off the bike) and had a few osteopath sessions, during my conversation with him, I did ask him about cycling and all he suggested was to take it easy to see how I faired. I started with 4 miles one day, then 8, then 12 and then did 32 miles. I actually found that cycling helped ease the pain a lot
Similar to those above, I've had back problems for years culminating to a microdiscectomy in 2007 after the same disc prolapsed 4 times in 2 years. Best thing I did although I suffered from 'dropped foot' for 18 months as a nerve was disrupted. After an hour ride I still feel stiff in the back when I dismount but that's more muscular than disc-related.
Doctor's orders are no running but cycling 'ok' and swimming the best. I prefer cycling to swimming though.
Doctor's orders are no running but cycling 'ok' and swimming the best. I prefer cycling to swimming though.
I'd say riding helps backs etc. Due to 3 seperate accidents (quad bike, car & ironically hitting a tree on a bike), my left shoulder and left side of my back has been pretty much in some sort of pain for nigh on 10years now due primarly to muscle damage. At the start of the year I really got into cycling in a big way, (as in riding 6/7 nights a week). Within a month or so the shoulder was the best its been. Right the way since April thorugh to the start of this month Ive been pain free and havent had any Co-Codamol since then. However, start of this month with the darkening nights etc. I went to the gym, started running and bang the pains back, however when Im riding its fine and its now slowly subsiding again.
My back issues started at 15, ended up with 2 fused discs at 18, year off sport, then prolapsed the next disc at 21. Now 43, and have had to manage it since this time. I was banned from competive swimming and running, cycling has always been fine.
Two bits of advice, use the drugs you get issued, should use painkillers & anti inflammatory drugs to get you up and about, lying around generally makes things worse, keep taking for a couple of days once pain has rescinded.
You need to strengthen the lower back muscles, these need to be in balance with your abdominals. The nhs or a web search will throw up suitable exercises
Two bits of advice, use the drugs you get issued, should use painkillers & anti inflammatory drugs to get you up and about, lying around generally makes things worse, keep taking for a couple of days once pain has rescinded.
You need to strengthen the lower back muscles, these need to be in balance with your abdominals. The nhs or a web search will throw up suitable exercises
Matt_N said:
Grandfondo said:
Cycling shortens the hamstrings which can cause lower back pain so Stretch,stretch and more stretching!
And the hip flexors and glutes. Those 3 can be the cause of a lot of people's back problems.
OP cycling actually does not strengthen the back you will have to do specific exercises to do that.
Grandfondo said:
Matt_N said:
Grandfondo said:
Cycling shortens the hamstrings which can cause lower back pain so Stretch,stretch and more stretching!
And the hip flexors and glutes. Those 3 can be the cause of a lot of people's back problems.
OP cycling actually does not strengthen the back you will have to do specific exercises to do that.
I'm starting to do back specific exercises, just didn't want to risk buggering the back up again due to supplementing them with some (initially light) cycling.
Haven't seen any "No don't do it!" replies so onwards and upwards
Tom Danielson - Core Advantage is a really good book, it's cycling focused but revolves around buidling your core strength up to improve fitness, performance, reduce injuries and back pain etc.
I've neglected it after following it religiously in the spring / early summer and some of my niggles are coming back.
Planking is another good core exercise to help support you on and off the bike.
I've neglected it after following it religiously in the spring / early summer and some of my niggles are coming back.
Planking is another good core exercise to help support you on and off the bike.
I have a few back issues, 4 1/2 collapsed discs (at the last MRI circa 8 years ago), a few mi-aligned vertebrae and a touch of osteoarthritis in my hips - generally speaking I am OK but when it plays up I can't walk.
I used to run lots when I was younger but can't run at all now, in fact any impact sports are a no-no! I was cajoled into playing a dad's v lad's football tournament at the end of the season last year and could hardly walk for the best part of 2 weeks, and spent most of those two weeks close to tears.
Personally I have found cycling to be about the best form of exercise, and thankfully one I have loved from a very early age. I ride the majority of the time on the drop's which stretches the vertebrae and takes the pressure off of the discs, which as you know only too well are little more than sacks of fluid that act as shock absorbers and when they move touch your nerves resulting in unimaginable pain!
Being on the drops forces you to activate your core which also helps remove the dependence on the spine/discs. Don't 'lean' on the bars, use them for stability and steering but your hands need to be light on the bars - it takes a while to get the technique right and you consciously have to force yourself to do it to begin with, but after a while you won't even think about it. Also, your saddle height and bar position need to be correct, you need to ride as though your hips have a steel rod through them, no wobbling about or hip bobbing - this results in your lower spine flexing left/right which your really don't want to be doing! If the stem is too long or too short you will either over flex or slightly compress your spine - again obvious when you think about it but getting it wrong with a bad back can result in an elongated period of inability to move - I speak from experience!
Other things to keep in mind when you are in the saddle is not to grind, I find a cadence of 95 when I am twiddling and circa 90 when I am trying hard about right for me. Try to stay seated when you are climbing, the minute you get out of the saddle you will start to twist, if I ever get back pain when I am riding it is usually a result of getting out of the saddle and trying too hard.
Off the bike gentle exercise is very important, activating your 'inner core' (not ab's etc), is key to removing the structural dependence from your spine. Tensing your stomach muscles while seated, clenching the male equivalent of the pelvic floor muscle before you get out of a chair, the plank and gentle leg raises are also good as long as you take it slow and use the support of a cushion under your stomach/feet to begin with.
Once you get the setup and technique right cycling with a bad back is very do-able, in fact I find when I am having an 'episode' and can hardly walk, I am much more comfortable on the bike than I am sitting upright in a dining room chair.
I used to run lots when I was younger but can't run at all now, in fact any impact sports are a no-no! I was cajoled into playing a dad's v lad's football tournament at the end of the season last year and could hardly walk for the best part of 2 weeks, and spent most of those two weeks close to tears.
Personally I have found cycling to be about the best form of exercise, and thankfully one I have loved from a very early age. I ride the majority of the time on the drop's which stretches the vertebrae and takes the pressure off of the discs, which as you know only too well are little more than sacks of fluid that act as shock absorbers and when they move touch your nerves resulting in unimaginable pain!
Being on the drops forces you to activate your core which also helps remove the dependence on the spine/discs. Don't 'lean' on the bars, use them for stability and steering but your hands need to be light on the bars - it takes a while to get the technique right and you consciously have to force yourself to do it to begin with, but after a while you won't even think about it. Also, your saddle height and bar position need to be correct, you need to ride as though your hips have a steel rod through them, no wobbling about or hip bobbing - this results in your lower spine flexing left/right which your really don't want to be doing! If the stem is too long or too short you will either over flex or slightly compress your spine - again obvious when you think about it but getting it wrong with a bad back can result in an elongated period of inability to move - I speak from experience!
Other things to keep in mind when you are in the saddle is not to grind, I find a cadence of 95 when I am twiddling and circa 90 when I am trying hard about right for me. Try to stay seated when you are climbing, the minute you get out of the saddle you will start to twist, if I ever get back pain when I am riding it is usually a result of getting out of the saddle and trying too hard.
Off the bike gentle exercise is very important, activating your 'inner core' (not ab's etc), is key to removing the structural dependence from your spine. Tensing your stomach muscles while seated, clenching the male equivalent of the pelvic floor muscle before you get out of a chair, the plank and gentle leg raises are also good as long as you take it slow and use the support of a cushion under your stomach/feet to begin with.
Once you get the setup and technique right cycling with a bad back is very do-able, in fact I find when I am having an 'episode' and can hardly walk, I am much more comfortable on the bike than I am sitting upright in a dining room chair.
Be VERY careful.
I'm struggling with mine at the moment upper back mostly due to work and a pretty inactive year (apart from moving house which made it worse due to heavy lifting and endless hours of painting). Cycling would kill it at the moment.
Same with core strength, if it's inflamed at the moment you could potentially make it worse.
Try and get booked in for a single physio session or sports massage, they will be able to give you a much better pointer than the internet on what you should or shouldn't be doing. You do not want to make it worse.
It can be very strange with backs, the first time mine went I ended up taking time off work and alternating day about gym & swim then the next day golf. Most people thought golf would kill it but the movement helped. Cycling made it worse.
I'm struggling with mine at the moment upper back mostly due to work and a pretty inactive year (apart from moving house which made it worse due to heavy lifting and endless hours of painting). Cycling would kill it at the moment.
Same with core strength, if it's inflamed at the moment you could potentially make it worse.
Try and get booked in for a single physio session or sports massage, they will be able to give you a much better pointer than the internet on what you should or shouldn't be doing. You do not want to make it worse.
It can be very strange with backs, the first time mine went I ended up taking time off work and alternating day about gym & swim then the next day golf. Most people thought golf would kill it but the movement helped. Cycling made it worse.
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