It seems like everyone you know got a few things during the pandemic: A puppy, a fun Zoom background and an indoor cycling bike.

Just us? We didn’t think so.

Indoor cycling can be a fantastic way to get or stay in shape and it can also be fun. However, if you aren’t knowledgeable about a few things, it can also leave you in pain – or worse – with an injury.

The good news is, there are things you can do to prevent indoor cycling injuries. Here are some things to think about.

Seat height

When people start feeling pain during an indoor cycling workout, the first thing that needs to be checked out is the seat height. Ideally, your seat should be at the highest point at which your hips don’t have to rotate (i.e., shift dramatically side to side) in order to reach the pedals. Your knee should be close to fully straight on the down stroke but NOT locked out.

Cadence

Going all out and pedaling at 100 or more rpm can be a decent challenge during a sprint or spin-up but if you can easily pedal at 90 rpm or higher, you are probably using too little resistance. And that means you are probably not in full control of your legs. Try upping your resistance until you find a comfortable cadence between 80-90 rpm.

Feet

In a nutshell, indoor cycling (and biking, honestly) should feel like walking. Your foot should act as if it is hitting an invisible ground – not going through the ground. So, don’t excessively plantarflex when you pedal. Instead, think of your foot hitting the downstroke in the shape it would if you were about to take a walking step.

Balance

If you are gripping the handlebars like your life depends on it, something is wrong. Ideally, you should be able to lift your hands off the handlebars at any point in your ride and NOT lose balance. You should barely have any weight in your hands at all.

Seat

Pretend you are sitting on your bike seat. Where is your rear end placed? Ideally, you should be sitting on your pelvic floor, i.e., somewhere between your pubic bone and your coccyx. You should NOT feel like you are only siting on your coccyx (or tailbone).

Hydrate

This one is easy: Take your water bottle and make sure you are getting sips of water in during your workout. Indoor cycling makes you sweat and you need to replace those important fluids!

Beacon Physical Therapy

At Beacon Physical Therapy, we want to keep you healthy and pain- and injury-free while indoor cycling. If you are having an issue, make an appointment today. We’d love to meet you and get you to excel at what you love.