Stretching the leg muscles (cyclists this one’s for you)

Several friends are riding the Tour Aotearoa, 3,000km of cycling from Cape Reinga to Bluff in 30 days or less. As their training rides have increased, so have the niggles of chronically tight muscles.

The large muscles of the legs can often become tight from the repetitive work of peddling particularly in a fixed seated position.

There are several major muscle groups that are most commonly affected – the quadriceps (front of thighs), groin (inner thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs) or glutes (buttocks).

If any are significantly stronger/weaker than the others that can create problems including chronic pain and tension in other parts of the body – especially the knees, hips and back.

I’ve recently begun loading all of my weekly email tips to my website in a searchable archive. Follow the links above to see my past tips and pick a few stretches that work for you.