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How to Stay Injury-Free

Hitting the deck is part of the sport, but it doesn't have to keep you down. Follow these tips to keep injury at bay while riding.

by Molly Hurford
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Cyclists can be an injury-prone bunch. Between acute injuries sustained in crashes, and chronic injuries caused by overtrainingor not-quite-right bike fits, at some point we’ve all felt like we’re at the mercy of the ride-injury-recover-ride-injury-recover cycle.

But with some focus on our mental outlook, better self-care, and a developed sense of body awareness, we can make injuries less common. Cycling coach Chris Mayhew of JBV Coaching shares a few of the tips he has clients follow to keep them on the bike year-round.

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Become a Self-Care Fanatic

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You might not be injured now, but some daily physical therapy post-ride can prevent you from getting to that injured point. Mayhew urges his cyclists—from masters to juniors—to devote time off the bike to preventative self-care.

“Don’t figure it out when you need it—that’s not a good time to learn,” he says. By that, he means using a foam roller (we recommend this one) or lacrosse balls to target sore muscles to prevent chronic injuries, and a daily (or at least weekly) practice of yoga to improve flexibility. The more flexible you are, the less you'll be prone to overuse injuries, and the “better” you’ll fall when you do crash. Think about it: A rotator cuff that you regularly work on and stretch is a lot less likely to tear compared to one that never moves beyond the bike and your desk job.

RELATED: Essential Yoga for Cyclists

Practice Mindfulness Daily

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“I think meditation or even just quiet time is great for injury prevention,” Mayhew says. Calming your mind—especially right before a ride—sets you up for peak performance, and makes you more mindful of the space around you. That means you’re more likely to notice the pothole in front of you, or the squirrel that’s waiting to launch a sneak attack as you blaze by.

RELATED: Shred Like a Monk With These Meditation Tips

Eat Right for Your Body

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“Show respect for your body and yourself,” says Mayhew. He’s a big believer in making sure that you head into a ride in an optimal state, meaning you’re not about to bonk as you pedal down the road. As we get tired or hungry, our attention can fade, which leads to sloppy handling and even accidents. Staying properly fueled and hydrated can help you react quickly to threats—or just keep you rolling in a straight line on the road!

A healthy, balanced diet of lean protein, good fats, plenty of vegetables, and clean carbs will also keep your system rapidly repairing itself, so those mini-injuries don’t become major.

RELATED: 15 Ways to Cut Hundreds of (Empty) Calories a Day

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Know Your Limits

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Just because your buddy can hit that jump or roll that drop doesn’t mean you can—or that you should try. Biking, especially mountain biking on technical terrain, does require some self-knowledge of your abilities. That doesn’t mean you need to be timid, just that you should be realistic.

Start small and aim for gradual progress. “Be in a good mindset. If you can’t be in the moment, do something else,” Mayhew says. So if you’re not sure you can hit that jump, skip it for today.

RELATED: Become a Better Mountain Biker With These Tips from Emily Batty

Strengthen Your Core

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Mayhew recommends strength training—core training in particular—to his cyclists. A strong core will keep you upright and steadier on the mountain bike as you navigate technical sections; and on the road bike, a strong core can take some of the pressure off of your lower back and your upper body, helping you avoid the dreaded lower-back pain that’s so common with cyclists. Again, it doesn’t take much to keep your core strong—you don’t need a six-pack, but doing a few strength moves a couple times a week will help you make gains and keep you injury-free.

RELATED: How-To: Train the Most Important Core Muscles for Cycling

Schedule Off Days

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“I like to schedule off-days for clients so they don’t have to think about whether they need one or not,” Mayhew says. He believes that enough rest and time off the bike is key to preventing chronic overuse injuries, and avoiding the mental burnout that can lead to crashing.

Even if you have a ride on the calendar for the day, if you didn’t sleep, if you forgot to stop for lunch, if you’re aching... It might not be the best time for interval training. Recovery is as important as training!

RELATED: Ride Hard, Recover Harder

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