We’ve all been told from a young age that stretching is a vital part of your daily workout routine. While research suggests stretching doesn’t improve your VO2 Max, it definitely decreases your likelihood of injury. Mobility is so important for everyone, not just athletes. But sometimes it can be hard to know the best ways to stretch. Many people have also encountered injuries as a result of stretching improperly. Let’s take a second to give you a few tips for better stretching with a video guide.
Who better to discuss mobility stretching than Richard Smith, the CEO of Fluid. Why? Because Richard graduated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Kinesiology emphasizing in Exercise Science and Nutritional Biochemistry. He has continued his passion for Exercise Science working part time (while not at Fluid HQ) as the Director Of Soft Tissue Rehab at Gymnazo in San Luis Obispo. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and a Certified Personal Trainer by the American Council on Exercise.
Rich recently visited the guys over at Art’s Cyclery to help create a video on proper stretching for cyclists. It is especially important for cyclists to properly stretch due to their body position in the saddle for long periods of time. But, these stretches are not only for cyclists and can be utilized by everyone to remain limber and injury free.
In the video, Rich helps Luke with a variety of mobility exercises that are scalable to a degree of intensity that you are most comfortable with. He focuses on exercises for the:
- Anterior Hip & Groin
- Outside Glute and Lower Back
- Chest, Shoulders & Spine
Luke Gamache from Art’s Cyclery and Richard Smith from San Luis Obispo-based Fluid Sports Nutrition discuss stretching for cyclists.
The original Art’s Cyclery Blog post can be found HERE. Art’s has built an impressive knowledge base of cycling information on their website that ranges from stretching videos to bicycle wheel building guides. If you are a cyclist, you should definitely check them out.
