Whether you spend most of your time biking on the open road or sitting at your desk, there are some fitness challenges that everybody faces. Even so, there are some activities we can do to combat these common challenges.
Being seated for a long period of time (whether on a bike or desk chair) ends up putting your body in a constant flexed/hunched position. As a result, the abdominal areas will become weakened over time. In addition, the hip flexors will become tighter, the psoas muscle running down the front of the leg will become tighter, and the glutes will become weaker.
These issues may seem fairly obvious once they have been pointed out, but we tend not to even think about them since they are so common. After putting this kind of stress on the body over a very long period of time, we can become prone to a variety of injuries. That’s why exercises that focus on strengthening the hips and glutes are so important. Strong muscles will prevent injuries from occurring so easily whenever we go about our daily activities.
Some of the best exercises to consider that counteract a hunched over posture are those that pull the shoulder blades back and together. If you have access to a gym, seated rows are a great exercise. Abdominal muscles are another area to target, since they tend to become unconditioned from long periods of being seated.
Ultimately, it’s really about putting your body in a different position from what it is constantly under on a daily basis. Even though biking is a great cardiovascular workout, it doesn’t do much to strengthen the glutes. When you come to visit a professional controlled environment, we are able to put you in situations that accommodate lateral movement and focus on engaging the hips and glutes.
Remember, no matter what you do, the key to conquering common fitness challenges is maintaining variety throughout your workouts. If you only stick to a few activities on a daily basis, some muscles will weaken over time, and the stronger muscles will have to compensate. You don’t have to become more susceptible to injuries due to a lack of variety. By changing it up once in a while, you can throw in some completely different exercises to strengthen the muscles that you would otherwise neglect.
To learn more about how we can help you realize your fitness goals and provide variety to your routine, contact us today or give us a call at (918) 743-3737.
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