Back Pain - Can you still get fitter?



Sam123

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Aug 1, 2009
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Can you still get fitter when riding if you suffer really back pain after 20-25 minutes?

I just thought you may not be able to get fitter if you arn't comfortable on the bike and the muscles are being strained and somehow it might stop the muscles from working and so therefore not getting fitter?
 
Sam123 said:
Can you still get fitter when riding if you suffer really back pain after 20-25 minutes?

I just thought you may not be able to get fitter if you arn't comfortable on the bike and the muscles are being strained and somehow it might stop the muscles from working and so therefore not getting fitter?

You shouldn't be having any back pain on a bike. If you are, the bike fit is off, and you need to see a bike fitter (LBS do it, but some don't do it well). Riding with the pain isn't going to help anything and will likely exacerbate the back pain or cause an injury.
 
There is no bike fitter around my area.

Can you still get fitter with back pain?
 
Sam123 said:
There is no bike fitter around my area.

Can you still get fitter with back pain?

There's no LBS near you or within driving distance? It's worth driving 2 or 3 hours to get a proper fit, especially when you're hurting on the bike.

Can you get fitter? I guess depends on what you mean. Back pain will limit how hard you can pedal and limit you to low intensity rides. That could be good for burning fat, but the onset of your pain is not long after you start riding, 20-25 minutes.

Frankly, I think what is more likely is that without some sort of intervention (proper fitting, at least), you'll find that the back pain worsens and maybe starts occurring earlier in the ride. If continued, a back injury likely awaits.

One thing that helps a back on a bike is to have good core strength. If you can do exercises targeted at your core, and do them without pain, that will put you in better stead for riding.

I went through a spate (1+ year) of neck and back pain, and it caused big changes on the bike, namely I raised my stem quite a bit during the period of pain. The point of this is to say my rides were shorter.....and fewer.......and not very enjoyable. I had to change my priorities and put my back and neck first, meaning that sometimes I just couldn't ride (up to weeks). You don't want that.
 
Sam123 said:
Can you still get fitter when riding if you suffer really back pain after 20-25 minutes?

I just thought you may not be able to get fitter if you arn't comfortable on the bike and the muscles are being strained and somehow it might stop the muscles from working and so therefore not getting fitter?

For how long can you continue to ride through the pain and what effect does stopping and getting off the bike have on the pain. Have you tried indoor riding on a trainer.
 
Sam, before you continue to aggreviate your back on the bike, suggest it would be good to seek out advice of a trainer/coach, chiropractor, or sports med MD. A competent evaluation might reveal all you need is flexibility and strength exercises, or it could be something else.

+1 for the advice to try a trainer. If riding an upright gym trainer is still causing pain, then your answer may well require something more than bike fit.
 
I think it it is still possible to get fitter even if your back gets sore but I think the problem of the source of your back pain should be looked at. If part of it is the bike fit then adjust your seat properly first. It may help to raise your seat so your legs get a full stretch when you pedal. If necessary see a doctor or physical therapist or massage therapist... and if you can tolerate it try light stretching or forward bends with deep breathing before and after your rides. Maybe develop a super light stretching routine to follow so your muscles don't get so sore. And also stay properly hydrated... with electrolyte or vitamin infused drinks.. work out often... and yeah you will get fitter... as long as your back is not injured.:D
 
Sam123 said:
There is no bike fitter around my area.

Can you still get fitter with back pain?

The point is that biking should not cause you that pain especially after such a short period of time... you need to address the problem.. it's kinda like asking.. i have this knife in my foot and i can't seem to get my shoes on.. can someone tell me if i can buy shoes that i can wear with a knife stabbed through my foot? well maybe getting the knife removed or asking for advice on how to get it removed would be a be better idea... do you know what i'm saying?

if you experience pain after 20-25min on a bike you should be doing one or two of the following..

a) go to someone who can help you to get your bike set up properly or go online (you obviously have internet access) and try to get it set up properly yourself.. here's a fit calculator here

b) go to your doctor or physiotherapist to see if you have some real underlying problem that you need to get taken care of..

it's not about if you can get fit with back pain.. it's about taking care of the back pain before you end up making things worse.

20-25mins is the absolute minimum you might want to do to improve aerobic fitness so you could get some minimal about of fitness from that but as i said 1st priority should be figuring out or taking care of the pain first, then think about fitness.. you shouldn't be in pain like that during exercise.
 
n crowley said:
For how long can you continue to ride through the pain and what effect does stopping and getting off the bike have on the pain. Have you tried indoor riding on a trainer.

I can continue for as long as much as i know 2 hours + of pain, but i do not enjoy it.

When getting off the bike i cant stand up straight unless i force my self to.

If i stop for 3 mins or so i can ride without pain for about 10 mins then it will start coming in again.
 
Sam123 said:
I can continue for as long as much as i know 2 hours + of pain, but i do not enjoy it.

When getting off the bike i cant stand up straight unless i force my self to.

If i stop for 3 mins or so i can ride without pain for about 10 mins then it will start coming in again.

Man, your priority should be getting the back pain sorted.
 
If you get back pain on the bike within 30 minutes then you either have a position which is so far off the mark that Ray Charles could have spotted it or, mostly likely, you have other back issues going on.

I'd hazzard a guess that a visit to the doc or a physio is in your future...
 
I rode with back pain for years, so I know what you're describing. It pretty much turns every ride into a pain event. As people are telling you, you ought to correct this condition first.

Unless something serious is wrong, stretching and core strength routines should do the trick. Since back pain is pretty common, lots of places to go for help. Some may be covered by medical insurance, others not. If you have a regular doctor, you could start there.

Another good option might be to find a qualified coach/trainer at a fitness center, or a qualified massage therapist. One trainer I know teaches people how to do deep-muscle massage using foam rollers and medicine balls, along with proper stretching and core-strength therapy.

What you have isn't rare; even veteran elite athletes can develop problems like this. The Tour de France pro's get a sports massage to relax them after every stage race so they can avoid these kinds of issues, but few of us have that luxury.

Key thing is that you shouldn't ride in pain. You won't be able to perform your best or enjoy cycling, and could be making the problem worse. Chances are 99/100 that your issue can be fixed if you get the proper advice and help.
 
Sam123 said:
I can continue for as long as much as i know 2 hours + of pain, but i do not enjoy it.

When getting off the bike i cant stand up straight unless i force my self to.

If i stop for 3 mins or so i can ride without pain for about 10 mins then it will start coming in again.

Before you bought this bike, have you ridden other bikes completely pain free for an hour or more.
 
Sam123 said:
Can you still get fitter when riding if you suffer really back pain after 20-25 minutes?

I just thought you may not be able to get fitter if you arn't comfortable on the bike and the muscles are being strained and somehow it might stop the muscles from working and so therefore not getting fitter?
Had it ever since i started road riding.
 
Can anyone give me a bike shop that does bike fits around my area within 2 hours distance.

I live in England, Kent, Thanet.
 
Sam123 said:
Had it ever since i started road riding.

Your symptoms are almost identical to mine when I use any of the natural pedalling styles and that is the root cause of your back pain, your pedalling style and a lower back that cannot cope with the strain associated with this pedalling and the road shock jarring of your lower back while under strain.
 
n crowley said:
Your symptoms are almost identical to mine when I use any of the natural pedalling styles and that is the root cause of your back pain, your pedalling style and a lower back that cannot cope with the strain associated with this pedalling and the road shock jarring of your lower back while under strain.


Wow. It takes mad skillz to make a medical diagnosis over the internet for a stranger you've never seen. Wow. Heck, real doctors can't even do that. Lucky for the OP he doesn't have to see a doc or anyone now 'cuz n crowley done diagnosed his back issue.
 
n crowley said:
Your symptoms are almost identical to mine when I use any of the natural pedalling styles and that is the root cause of your back pain, your pedalling style and a lower back that cannot cope with the strain associated with this pedalling and the road shock jarring of your lower back while under strain.

So what do you suggest :S?
 
Sam123 said:
Can you still get fitter when riding if you suffer really back pain after 20-25 minutes?

I just thought you may not be able to get fitter if you arn't comfortable on the bike and the muscles are being strained and somehow it might stop the muscles from working and so therefore not getting fitter?

I too, have back pain. My L4/L5 joints are severely degenerated. However, I have
been doing stretches for my glutes and hamstrings since February, and although not
100% free from back pain, most of it has gone.

The stretches were very difficult to begin with, but I spent 15 minutes per day in
the evening and it has worked for me. I was determined to try this approach
because I had spent lots of £s on contraptions to help aleiviate such problems
with much success.

Good luck fella.
 
alienator said:
Wow. It takes mad skillz to make a medical diagnosis over the internet for a stranger you've never seen. Wow. Heck, real doctors can't even do that. Lucky for the OP he doesn't have to see a doc or anyone now 'cuz n crowley done diagnosed his back issue.


When you discover the instant complete cure for persistant serious "on the bike" lower back pain, the causes are then obvious but it is only a person with this back pain that can make that discovery. A completely different pedalling style is involved and this is the same technique that can apply max torque through 12 o'c. The instant cure works by eliminating all lower back strain, this is done by using the hips which are reinforced by arm resistance to supply all pedalling resistance and by using the already working arms to alternately support all upper body weight. With the lower back now free of all strain, road shock vibration no longer affects it. Q.E.D.
 

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