ATTA® medical advisors Fleet Street Clinic - The Best Positions For Cycling
ATTA®'s long-time medical advisors The Fleet Street Clinic headed by Dr Richard Dawood, Medical Director and Travel Medicine specialist, are releasing some basic advice on day-to-day healthcare which some members may find interesting.
Whether its cycling, running, swimming or even walking, increased exercise is great for your both your mental and physical health. According to the World Health Organisation, people who are regularly active decrease their risk of premature death by 20‐30%. Just 30 minutes of exercise everyday can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, and reduce body fat.
Even if it's just a quick walk, make the most of the sunshine by getting more active, it will make you happier and healthier!
This week it’s cycling.
SUMMER CYCLING
Summer is the perfect opportunity to dust off your bike and think about turning that commute into an opportunity to get fitter or shed a few pounds!
CYCLING – A LOW IMPACT SPORT
Compared to many sports, cycling is one with a relatively low injury rate. Crashes and collisions apart, cycling is impact free – good for your joints and muscles. In addition, if you select the correct gear to match the terrain, it means that you can avoid overloading your muscles and joints, keeping the cranks spinning rather than pushing a big gear.
Also important is that because your feet are fixed in place, spinning the cranks requires very little coordination, which also reduces the risk of injury due to poor technique, which is very common while running. Still, despite all these advantages, cyclists can, and regularly do, suffer overuse injuries.
FIX A GOOD RIDING POSITION:
One of the main issues is the set up of the bike itself. Here are a few pointers as to how to best achieve a good riding position:
SADDLE HEIGHT
This should be positioned so that when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke and the ball of your foot is on the pedal, your knee should have a slight bend in it. If you want to get technical, saddle to pedal distance should be 109% of your inside leg measurement. Hips shouldn’t move sideways during crank rotation and you shouldn’t have to stretch at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Don’t be put off by feeling you have to come off the saddle to touch the floor.
Source: Fleet Street Clinic