Warming Up Before Cycling Is Actually So Important. Here’s How
Do this first and watch how much better your workout feels.
By Lauren Mazzo•
Why You Should Warm Up Before a Ride
How to Properly Do a Bike Warm-Up
10 Dynamic Cycling Warm-Up Exercises
Takeaway
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If you take cycling classes or go on regular road rides, there’s a good chance you don’t warm-up before hopping on your bike. While it might be common practice, it’s not necessarily a good idea.
“Overall, skipping the warm-up can compromise both the safety and effectiveness of a ride,” says Peloton Instructor Mila Lazar. “I love to warm up to increase my heart rate, warm up my muscles and joints, and be mentally prepared for the main part of the ride.”
“I’m fond of asking participants, ‘Who wants your ride to feel worse and be less effective?’” poses Emily Booth, lead subject matter expert for the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s GEAR indoor cycling certification. “The answer? No one.” But that can happen when you neglect to warm up.
A few minutes of low-key pedaling is part of that warm-up process, but it’s not the only thing you need to do to properly prep your body for a ride. Here’s how you should actually warm up for a cycling workout, whether you’re pedaling in your living room or on an open road.
Why You Should Warm Up Before a Ride
Physiologically speaking, warming up for a workout is important for two things: movement preparation (priming your body for whatever type of exercise you’re about to do) and metabolic preparation (getting your body ready to use energy to power your workout), Booth explains.
An important part of any workout warm-up is activating the muscles that are about to work. “When we perform movements that ‘remind’ the body which muscles to use, our ability to recruit them during the workout increases,” Booth says. If you don’t prime those muscles, you risk reinforcing faulty movement patterns, which can lead to overuse injuries, pain, and diminished function, Booth explains.
Speeding into an intense workout without the proper ramp-up can also put stress on the heart and lungs. “Jumping into intense exercise can cause a sudden spike in heart rate, which can be stressful for the cardiovascular system, especially for those with pre-existing conditions,” Mila says.
On the flip side, a thorough, intentional warm-up will help you move efficiently, leading to a more effective and enjoyable workout, Booth says. A warm-up may even help you perform better, decrease your chance of experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness, and reduce your risk of injury (though it’s worth noting that, while the latter is widely accepted, research-wise, we don’t yet have definitive proof).
“Lastly, a warm-up helps prepare you mentally for a ride, ensuring better focus and engagement during the class,” Mila says. This is no small thing; researchers agree that warm-ups provide a key opportunity for an athlete to transition from the “outer world” into focus mode, helping to improve readiness and mentally prepare for the workout coming next.
How to Properly Do a Bike Warm-Up
Whether you’re heading out on a road ride or hopping on your Peloton Bike+ for a HIIT & Hills class, the warm-up guidelines are alike. “Because the fundamental movement patterns are the same whether you’re cycling outside or riding inside on a stationary bike, the warm-up should be essentially the same,” Booth says. “Both activities will be performed better by activating the muscles, working on dynamic mobility, and priming the aerobic system.”
If you’re riding with a Peloton Bike, you can mimic the below warm-up process by cueing up a 5-10 minute Pre-Ride Warm-up and then a 5-10 minute Warm-up Ride before heading into your main workout, Mila says. If you’re flying solo, here’s how to warm up before cycling on your own.
1. Start with Dynamic Stretching
Before sitting on the saddle, Mila recommends doing some dynamic stretches and mobility exercises to help increase blood flow and flexibility. She suggests doing arm circles, leg swings, lunges with a rotation, and pedaling your feet in a Downward Dog to open up the chest, hips, and calves, respectively.
Opening up the hips is crucial, as it can help to create a bigger range of motion and allows for a stronger and more efficient pedal stroke, Mila says. It may sound counterintuitive, but stretching the front of your hips helps your glutes (one of the main muscles engaged in cycling) to work more efficiently, Booth explains.
2. Activate Key Muscles
After some dynamic stretches to open up key areas, you’ll want to fire up your cycling muscles with activation exercises. “The goal of your warm-up should be to recruit as many of the muscle fibers that contribute to effective riding as possible while simultaneously activating the muscles that stabilize those movements,” Booth says.
Your quadriceps, hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and calves are the major movers when you’re pedaling a bike. So, you should focus on activating all those large lower-body muscles that produce power in the pedal stroke, as well as muscles that help stabilize the trunk (aka your core). “When the trunk is stable, more power can be delivered to the pedals,” Booth says. Mila’s go-to moves for pre-ride activation are squats, lunges, hip bridges, and Pilates core exercises.
3. Start Slow On the Bike
This is when you finally get on the bike and start that metabolic prep. “Riders frequently start out much too hard,” Booth says. If you start with an ambitious RPM (100+) you’ll likely feel breathless, and if you pile on too much resistance, your muscles will start to burn before your heart rate can rise, which prematurely diminishes your muscle glycogen (i.e. fuel or energy), Booth says. “In reality, it takes the body a minimum of 10-12 minutes to effectively go through the process of increasing core temperature and dilating the blood vessels to effectively deliver oxygen to working muscles, priming the aerobic energy system for efficiency,” she explains.
To properly warm up for your ride, you’ll want to slowly ramp up so your body can “go through its gears,” Booth says. Both she and Mila recommend starting with a few minutes of easy pedaling at low resistance to get the blood flowing, then gradually increasing the resistance and cadence, finishing with some intervals that push the pace.
“My preferred protocol is to start with 3-5 minutes of very easy pedaling, no slower than 80 RPM and no faster than 100 RPM,” Booth says. “Then, increase intensity slightly for another 3-5 minutes to get the body into a ‘steady state’ where the breath is more noticeable but the perceived effort is still comfortable. To finish the warm-up, I like to perform a few ‘opening’ efforts of high cadence and low resistance of no longer than 30 seconds.” By the end, you should feel raring to go, and ready to tackle your workout full-force.
How Much Time Should You Spend On a Cycling Warm-Up?
“I would always opt for a 5- to 10-minute warm-up,” Mila says. “This duration allows our Members to gradually increase their heart rate, warm up their muscles, and mentally prepare for the main part of the ride.” If you have time to spare and want to warm up as optimally as possible, Booth recommends taking 15-20 minutes to thoroughly prepare. That said, anything you have time for, even if it's two or three minutes of mobility or activation work, is better than nothing, she says.
“The common wisdom is that the harder the workout will be, the more prolonged and intentional the warm-up should be (without causing fatigue, of course),” Booth says. So, if you’re doing a shorter, lower-intensity ride, you can get away with a quicker metabolic warm-up. “But activation and mobility are always recommended no matter the intensity of the ride,” she adds.
10 Dynamic Cycling Warm-Up Exercises
“In all of these exercises, form and activating the right muscles and movement patterns are critical. It is not about doing a lot of reps or for a determined period of time; rather, it is about performing quality movements without compensation,” Booth says. If you don’t have time to do them all, pick a few with the intention of incorporating a mix of movements that involve activating the glutes, dynamically lengthening the hip flexors, and activating the lateral stabilizers, she says.
Leg Swings
Both Booth and Mila love this move for opening up the hips on all sides. You can do this dynamic stretch using a wall for support or freestanding, with your hands on your hips or arms stretched out to the sides in a “T” shape for balance.
Stand next to a wall, about an arm’s length away, facing so your right shoulder is toward the wall. Place your right hand on the wall with your arm softly bent, without leaning your weight onto the wall. Shift your weight into your left leg, and raise the right one off the floor.
Swing your right leg forward and backward, trying to relax your leg and slowly increasing the range of motion as you swing. Do 5-8 reps.
Turn your body to face the wall, placing both hands lightly on the wall. Swing your right leg side to side in front of your opposite leg. Do 5-8 reps.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Arm Circles
Arm circles, a favorite dynamic stretch of Mila’s, are great for opening up your chest and shoulders. They also help drill trunk stabilization as you try to keep your pelvis stable while moving your extremities.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees softly bent.
With your arms extended, circle them backward, up, and around in a circular motion. Slowly increase the range of motion as you go. Keep your core engaged and try not to let your back arch or ribs flare open.
Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch directions, swinging backward for 30 seconds.
Standing Knee Hug
This hip mobility move recommended by Booth also boosts balance and single-leg stability. (That makes it a great warm-up for running, as well.)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
With your left knee slightly bent, pull your right knee to your chest, holding your right shin. Keep your torso upright and core engaged.
Hold the hug for one second, then release your right leg and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating legs for 30 seconds.
Active Downward Dog
Make a Downward-Facing Dog a dynamic stretch by pedaling out your feet to stretch out your calves, as recommended by Mila.
Find downward-facing dog position: Start in a high plank, then shift your hips up and back until your body forms an inverted “V” shape. Press into all 10 fingers, draw your shoulders away from your ears, and think about pointing your tailbone up to the sky.
Staying in this position, lift your right heel off the floor, allowing your left heel to fall closer to the floor, stretching your calf on that side. Hold for one second, then switch sides.
Continue pedaling your feet for about 30 seconds.
Inverted Hamstring Stretch
Similar to a single-leg deadlift, your core, glutes, and hamstrings will all get a wakeup call.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight into your right leg, with a soft bend in the right knee.
Kick your left foot toward the wall behind you, keeping your hips and shoulders square to the floor. As you do this, reach your hands out to the sides in a “T” shape. Hinge forward until your upper body and left leg are in one line, about parallel to the floor.
Lower your left foot and lift your chest. Return to standing with your arms by your sides. That’s one rep.
Do 5-8 reps, then repeat on the other side.
World’s Greatest Stretch
Mila isn’t the only Peloton instructor who loves the world’s greatest stretch. This move is a lunge-plank-rotation hybrid that opens the hips, chest, and thoracic spine.
Start in a high plank, with your palms flat on the floor directly under your shoulders and your feet about shoulder-width apart. (To modify, drop your knees down to the floor, forming a straight line from shoulders to knees.)
Step your right foot forward outside of your right hand, with your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, directly over your right foot. Keep your left leg straight.
Inhale to lift your right hand and extend it toward the sky, opening your chest to the right. Don’t allow your left hip to twist, and keep your neck long and core engaged.
Return your right hand to the floor. Step your right foot back to plank position, then repeat on the left side. Repeat, alternating for one minute, aiming to do an equal number of reps on each side.
Bodyweight Squat
Try bodyweight squats with your arms overhead or extended in front of you, Booth says. They tap into all those powerful lower body muscles you’ll need to cycle.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly pointed out.
Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to sit back into a squat, lowering your body until your thighs are about parallel to the floor. Think about engaging your core muscles and keeping your back straight and chest up.
Push through your heels to stand up and return to the starting position. Repeat for 30 seconds.
Glute Bridge March
The glute bridge march activates the glutes and helps drill pelvic stability—the ability to keep your hips stable while you’re legs are in motion, Booth says.
Lie face-up on the floor with your arms next to your body. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground, about hip-width apart.
Squeeze your glutes and engage your core to lift your hips up. Pause when your body forms a straight diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold this position.
Keeping your hips steady, lift your right foot off the floor. Keep the right knee bent at 90 degrees, and raise it until your right shin is about parallel to your left thigh. Don’t let your hips tip side to side or drop, or let your back arch.
Hold for one second, then return your right foot to the floor. Repeat on the opposite side. Continue alternating for 30 seconds.
Side Plank
Side planks, a classic plank variation and activation exercise recommended by Booth, don’t just work your core but also tap into your lateral hip stabilizers.
Start in an elbow side plank position with your elbow directly under your shoulder and your feet stacked. (If this is too challenging, you can drop your bottom knee to the ground.) Make sure your body is in a straight line from head to toe and your core is engaged.
Hold this position for 30-45 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
Reverse Lunge with Lateral Flexion
Both Mila and Booth love lunges for simultaneously waking up your big lower body muscles and stretching your hips at the same time. The lateral bend with your upper body only deepened the hip stretch.
Start standing with your feet together and hands on your hips.
Take a big step back with your left leg, bending both knees to lower into a lunge until your left knee is hovering just off the floor.
Staying in a lunge, reach your right arm overhead and to the left, leaning your torso to the left and stretching the right side of your body. Hold for one second.
Put your right hand back on your hip and return your torso to upright, then drive through your right heel to step your left foot forward to meet your right.
Repeat on the other side. Continue alternating for 30-60 seconds.
Takeaway
Warming up before a cycling workout—indoor or outdoor—can help you have a more efficient, challenging workout; however, it’s a step many exercisers skip. Try a few of the dynamic stretches and activations prior to hopping on the Peloton Bike, or make your life easier by cueing up a Pre-Ride Warm-up and Warm-up ride to let Peloton’s instructors do the work for you. Either way, once you feel the difference of a comprehensive warm-up, we bet you’ll never go back to skipping it again.
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