By: Anthony Celio, PT, DPT, COMT, FAFS

Between the impact from hitting rocks, powering through corners, and even the stress of simply pedaling, your body and your bike go through a lot on the mountain. You need to be ready for the hard climbs and fast downhills that each trail offers. Your back, hips, and ankles all need mobility and strength to take on the demands inherent to mountain biking.

Read more about staying on the trail here: Keeping Youth Mountain Bikers on the Trail

To get the most out of your ride, it is vital to have a proper warm-up. Now, you may be thinking that the ride over to the trail or the first few soft hills are warming you up to be ready for the demands of the trail ahead. A solid warm-up routine ensures the body is ready to perform the necessary movements for the sport. This can lead to greater success, decrease the risk of injury, and optimize performance. For all of this to occur, a warm-up must take your body through the various motions of that activity or sport as well as prime the muscles that are highly recruited.

A warm-up for mountain biking must prepare the body to be engaged and stable on the bike. The ankles need to flex to drive through the pedals, and the hips need to have the necessary motion to push and pull. The shoulder and mid-back must be engaged and stabilize the upper body as the weight is placed through your bars to maneuver the bike. These movements are essential for mountain biking and this warm-up will help a rider be more successful!

Do these 6 warm-up exercises before your next ride to move, feel, and perform your best!

1. Deep Squats with Overhead Reach (10-15x)
To get the most out of this warm-up, make sure your feet are facing forward, and get as low to the ground as you are able with arms extended over head. Hold the squat at your lowest point for 2-3 seconds.
Image of a woman squatting and stretching both arms into the air.
2. Deep Squat with Chest Rotation (10-15x)
As you are in a squat position, place one arm inside the knee to brace, and reach your other arm up and back. Make sure your eyes follow your extended hand to get the optimal rotation.
image of woman squatting and reaching right arm into the air,
3. Bear Crawl Rock Backs (10-15x)
Position yourself on your hands and toes with your knees hovering off the ground. In the bear crawl position, your hips should be directly over your knees. To rock back, push your hips back to be over your heels. When you rock back, push your hands into the ground to lengthen out your back.
image of woman on the ground in upward dog pose.
image of woman on the ground in backward dog pose.
4. Downward Dog with Calf Stretch (15x each side)
From a push up position, raise your hips towards the sky. You will alternate bending one leg and pushing the heel of the other leg into the ground. The straight leg will feel a stretch in the calf. Hold this stretch for 3 seconds before alternating legs.
Image of woman on the ground in upward dog pose.
5. Dynamic Hamstring Stretch (15x each side)
Step slightly back with one leg, and, with the other, extend slightly forward and flex the foot. Reach down to the ground and sweep forward around your flexed foot. Return to a neutral position and repeat on the opposite side.
image of woman doing hamstring stretch.
6. Forward Lunge with Overhead Reach (15x each side)
Lunge as far as you can forward while also keeping the heel of your back leg on the ground. Reach up and extend your arms up and behind your head. Make sure your eyes follow your hands.
image of woman doing a forward lunge with arms in the air.

Mountain biking is demanding on your body. If you have been injured or have any discomfort on the trail, or if you just want to see how you can perform better, schedule an appointment with a Spooner therapist today!