3 Steps to Proper Bike Fitting

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Lisa Martin, PT, DPT

The summer months are upon us and I’m sure that many of you are out riding your bikes to enjoy the beautiful weather. I’m going to give you a few easy steps on proper fit for your bike to make sure your bike riding is enjoyable and comfortable.

First of all, proper seat height is very important. When you’re sitting on the seat with your feet on the pedals, you should only have a slight bend in your knee when the pedal is at the bottom position.¹ I usually tell my patients when standing next to the bike, their greater trochanter or hip bone should be about even with the seat. If you can sit on your seat and plant your feet on the ground your seat is too low. If you have to rock your hips side to side while pedaling, your seat is too high.² When having to stop, you should have to get off the seat or be on your tip toes when seated.¹

Second, your seat should be level. Try to avoid tilting it too far forward or backward. You should feel like you are sitting on the same spots on your bottom that you do while sitting upright in a chair, often referred to as your “sit bones”.^1,2 On most bikes you can also move the seat forward or backward allowing you to make sure that you are centering your weight over the bike.¹ Also, in this process make sure that you can still reach the handlebars. Your elbows should not be locked and you should not feel like you have to shift forward on the seat to reach the handlebars.²

The third step is adjusting the handlebar position to avoid having any strain on your back, neck, shoulders, or wrists.¹You should never feel like your arms are falling asleep or your upper body is too heavy to hold up. If you are feeling that way, try adjusting your handlebar position. This will vary depending on the type of bike you are riding, your body type, and just personal preference. Here are the three main types of bikes and you can experiment with what you like the best.

Road Bike (skinny tires): Handlebars about 1-2 inches lower than the seat allowing you to lean forward and be more aerodynamic.¹
Mountain Bike (rugged tires): Handlebars often 3-4 inches lower than the seat allowing for a lower center of gravity to better negotiate obstacles you might find on trails or in the woods.¹
Cruisers: Handlebars about 1-2 inches higher than the seat allowing the rider to sit more upright and take a more leisurely ride.¹

A good rule of thumb is that if you’re having increased back, neck, shoulder, or wrist pain, your handlebars are likely too low.²If you’re feeling every bump on the road and your bottom is hurting, your handlebars are likely too high.²

Hopefully these few easy steps will make your bike riding experiences this summer more fun and long-lasting. If you’re having pain while riding your bike and you don’t have any previous aliments, you’re likely just not positioned correctly on the bike. Hope you have a safe and fun summer! Please share any exciting bike riding experiences with us.

P90X: Great Way to Lose Weight or Just Hurt Yourself?

Written by: Lisa Martin, PT, DPT

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Lisa Martin, PT, DPT

P90X is a series of 12 exercise DVDs that bases its success on “muscle confusion.”¹ It is thought that by changing up the exercise routine daily, your body does not get a chance to adapt. Therefore, the body burns more fat and builds more muscle.¹ Each DVD starts with a warm up, followed by a circuit training routine, and then finishes with a cool down. One of the key things to remember is that these DVDs are intended for a healthy population that has already been working out. If you have not worked out in years and have spent the last several months having more of a sedentary lifestyle, this is NOT the workout series you want to jump into. Doing so would likely result in injury.

Unfortunately, as physical therapists, we see many people at our clinics that come to us after doing P90X. Some reasons include doing too much too soon, poor body mechanics, or aggravation of an old injury. First, as mentioned above, this is meant for a population that has been exercising, so you need to do the intro fitness test before starting the DVDs that is included with this series. If you can’t pass the fitness test, you likely need to do other exercise to prepare your body for P90X. Second, you need to be aware of your body mechanics and posture during all of the movements. If you don’t have a good understanding of a proper squat, lunge, push-up, etc., you could end up hurting yourself.

Improper Squat Proper Squat

Since this is a circuit series, the repetitive nature of this type of exercise can cause aggravation to old injuries or even cause new injuries if not completed correctly. This would be a great opportunity to contact your physical therapist to review these mechanics to assure that you are in the correct position. Lastly, you need to listen to your body. Do NOT push through pain or push past the point where you cannot maintain good form; this can lead to joint pain, tendonitis, or muscle strains which, in turn, will result in you not being able to tolerate any kind of exercise for an extended period of time.

Although P90X is not for everyone, it does have great potential to burn calories and help the already active and exercising individual get into better shape. A 2011 study took 16 healthy subjects 19-26 years old that exercised regularly through four of the P90X DVDs over several weeks. The results showed that P90X, in combination with a healthy diet, meets or in some instances exceeds fitness standards for losing weight and improving cardiorespiratory fitness.

Obviously, there are a million different ways to exercise: P90X, yoga, zumba, machines, weights, jogging, Tai Chi, and the list can go on and on. You need to find the best way to exercise with the least detrimental effects on your body. Some people are in good enough shape and have a good understanding of proper form with exercise positions, so P90X is a great challenge and addition to your workout regimen. However, for those of you on the other end of the spectrum, you might want to try a less intense workout DVD and progress to P90X over time to prevent injury. If you want to learn about proper mechanics with exercise you should come visit us and we will be able to show you the correct way to exercise to avoid injury.

Have you ever tried P90X before? If so, what was your experience?

How Exercise Can Help Combat Osteoporosis

Written by: Teresa Hall, PT, DPT, OCS

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Teresa Hall, PT, DPT, OCS

Osteoporosis is a growing problem in the American population with very serious consequences. Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time due to loss of calcium and phosphate, which make the bones strong. Osteopenia is the loss of bone density, but not severe enough to be classified as osteoporosis. In the United States today, 10 million individuals already have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for this disease. One out of every 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime. ⁽¹⁾

One of the best methods to increase bone health and mass is performing exercise. Certain types of exercise are more effective at building bone than others, most notably weight bearing exercise. Weight bearing does not mean lifting weights, but rather performing exercises in standing positions where your bones have to carry your body weight. Bones will get stronger when they are subjected to increased stress. Good bone building exercises include: walking, jogging, dancing, stair climbing, and tai chi. These exercises should be performed for 20 minutes, 3 days a week for best results. Poor bone building exercises include: swimming, biking, spinning, and light stretching.

Of course, if you have osteoporosis or bone loss, check with your physician before beginning any exercise program. Most people are able to exercise very safely and increase their bone mass effectively through exercise.