Is Cycling Good for Hamstring Injury? [Release the Tightness Fast]

Yes, cycling is fantastic for any hamstring injury. One of my first injuries when I was younger was a pull in my hamstring when coming off of the curve for a 400 meter dash. I thought my time was going to be fantastic until I felt a very tight cramp in my leg which then felt like a snap, which then turned to me on the ground and a single tear bead of sweat falling down my face. This was my first, of many hamstring injuries in my life and I have become a bit too close with many trainers in my life as they try to redevelop me from my many overuse injury ailments. But, I digress, you are here to learn is cycling good for hamstring injury.

In this post we will go over the positives and why cycling is amazing for your hamstring to get back into your other exercise activities. We will discuss road biking versus getting on an exercise bicycle. Finally we will discuss if hamstrings loosen from cycling or if it is hard on the muscles themselves. We will also discuss when you can ride again after a hamstring injury.

Is cycling good for hamstring injury?

Yes. Make sure to warm up and cool down legs thoroughly when riding. Cycling is quite possibly the best thing you can do for your hamstring injury, almost immediately after receiving the injury. What does almost immediately mean? This means about 1-2 days of icing from the initial rise in inflammation. Even if you can not walk correctly at this point, cycling is a great way – if it does not lead to any direct pain – to begin and ultimately speed up rehabilitation of your hamstrings. If you have just received the injury, it is not recommended to ride on a road bike because if you fall, it will hurt a lot more and you will reinjure yourself when the leg recoils from the initial shock of pain of blunt trauma – And then after the pain of the fall, you will re-pull your hamstring, and it will not feel very good at all.

How long after pulling hamstring can someone start to cycle?

You are able to cycle almost immediately after a hamstring pull and your initial wave of excess inflammation and pain wears off. This can be within 1-2 days – most likely 3-4 days, though. 

Begin with exercise bike

It is recommended to work with an exercise bike for several weeks to help heal the body first and it is great for the heart. The inflammation and the tissues will repair themselves dur to the gentle movement of the exercise bike. You also are stretching the muscles and tendons as well while riding the exercise bicycle. Most gyms have them and you can even purchase one in your home or a miniature one under your desk. 

I don’t recommend the miniature-under desk bikes for hamstring rehabilitation, because getting the perfect amount of distance for your legs can prove to be difficult to target your hamstrings. However, for muscle maintenance, these are fantastic.

Road biking with hamstring injury

You can absolutely begin road biking with a hamstring injury as soon as you feel that you are able to walk normally without support. This is a signal that all of the initial inflammation has dissipated and the tissues and muscles will fire in the correct way when engaged. It also means that your balance is close to being back to what it was before the injury. The main concern is a fall which will cause a re-injury, so focus on staying upright on your road bike. Make sure to ice when possible.

Is biking hard on hamstrings?

No, biking is not hard on your hamstrings. It is also great for the hips. But, it is important to note that one of the main muscles that you train when biking is your hamstrings – along with your glutes, hip flexors, quads, and calves. So what this means is if you happen to be training in a high intensity zone, you can deplete your hamstrings’ energy, but this is not bad for the hamstrings because it will help develop them in the long-run-cycle. Cycling is great because you can work the hamstrings without actually causing very much of any damage to them over a very, very long time (decades).

Does cycling loosen hamstrings?

Yes, if you have tight hamstrings, cycling will loosen your hamstrings. If you have warmed up the hamstrings first through some sort of (preferably dynamic) stretching, then cycling is great because it will work the hamstring, elongate the hamstring without the hamstring feeling any blunt force. It is getting a very thorough workout from cycling while also elongating and stretching the hamstring. Be sure to cool down the hamstring after an intense session of cycling.

Conclusion

Is cycling good for hamstring injury? Yes, cycling is quite possibly the best thing you can do after suffering a hamstring injury. If you are riding enough, your bum may begin hurting. Try reading this guide to make sure your sits bones are comfortable while riding. You are giving the injured area blood and oxygen while both strengthening and stretching the troubled tissues in the legs. It is a step up from simply resting and stretching because you are supplying the affected area with energy and oxygen to aid the repair and speed up its affects.