The Two Sides of a Dirt Motorcycle Ride
Dirt motorcycle riding means riding your motorcycle on unpaved surfaces and in rough terrain. A unique adventure indeed, this motorcycle sport involves traveling on naturally created rough surfaces, such as sand, gravel, a river, mud or snow. While the picturesque experience is one that every motorcycle rider should enjoy at least once in his life, it is imperative for dirt motorcycle riders to take note of a hazardous effect this sport has on their bodies, namely, motorcycle pain. This effect involves various parts of the body, such as the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, lower back, buttocks, and legs.
Hence it is evident that dirt bikers need to utilize almost every muscle group in their bodies. Needless to mention, it becomes mandatory for such riders to build a lean and fit body with remarkable muscle strength. Negligence of any kind could lead to long-term health concerns. Also, it is essential to take good care of oneself while on the trip and after it.
This article is a fitness mantra to help dirt motorcycle riders cope with their adventure, before, during, and after it.
Prepare yourself for the Adventure – Beat Motorcycle Pain through Physical Exercise
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Dirt bike riders must adhere consistently to a workout plan, in order to get into good physical shape and thus be able to get over the pain caused by riding a motorcycle in no time!
Here is a guide of vital bodily exercises for dirt motorcycle riders :
Build Your Shoulders and Arms
With your elbows straight, do front raises with a lightweight (less than 15 pounds) dumbbell in each hand. Position the dumbbells in front of your upper legs and slowly raise them upward to shoulder level. Then lower them back down to your upper legs. Perform four sets with 12 repetitions of each set. Once you are done with the front raises, do push-ups. With your palms flat on the floor extend your legs so that your body is straight. The distance between your arms should be the width of your shoulder and keep in mind not to lock the shoulders. Perform three sets of pushups, each of 15 repetitions.
Strengthen Your Lower Body
The best way to build your lower body is through squats. It is advisable to perform four sets of 15 repetitions. While performing squats, first start with wide squats with an appropriate width of your leg position, and then move into squats with a shoulder-width distance between your legs. Bend your knees slowly so that your lower hip joint is lowered down to your knees. Keeping your back straight, and tightening your abdominal muscles, press down into your heels and come up slowly through your thigh muscles. While coming into an upright position, keep your core tight and contract your buttock muscles.
Firm Up Your Core (Abdomen)
Abdominal crunches are highly recommended to strengthen your core or abdomen. Perform four sets of 25 repetitions, while slowly contracting and tightening your abdominal muscles with each crunch. Do alternate sets of bent-leg crunches and crunches with your legs flat on the floor. After doing crunches, the next best thing for your core is to do planks. For a plank, get down on all your limbs, then raise your knees off the floor and extend your body linearly. Contract your abdominal muscles and hold for 20 seconds. Then lower your body and rest for a minimum of 15 seconds. Do four such sets of planks, while maintaining intervals of 20 seconds.
Do Cardio for Building up Stamina
Motorcycle riding, especially dirt biking needs a great deal of stamina. Cardio activities like cycling, running, and swimming is effective in providing a full-body workout and in burning calories, thus building up your endurance. Alternate between these cardio activities at least three times each week for approximately 45 minutes, and keep the intensity at a high level. While at the gym, light cardio of 5 to 10 minutes is a good way to warm up your muscles, before doing a high-intensity workout. Having said all that about doing cardio, consult a physician beforehand to make sure that such exercises would not affect your health negatively in any way.
Useful tips while you are on the go
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While muscle building and firming exercises prepare your body for the hardships of a dirt motorcycle ride and for combating motorcycle pain, there are some things you need to follow when you are actually set to go.
Here are some useful tips for making your adventurous ride a truly memorable one :
- Do stretching exercises just before you go and whenever you stop along the way.
- Drink sufficient quantity of water in order to keep yourself well-hydrated.
- Increase your intake of carbohydrates. Also eat plenty of fruits that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, e.g. bananas, oranges, and dry fruits.
- Use cruise control, i.e. a control which automatically adjusts the speed of the motorcycle, where possible, because it is easier on the joints and muscles.
- Don’t ride in a tense state of mind. Try to be relaxed, and take deep breaths.
- Dress appropriately for the dirt ride. This means selecting the right motorcycle gear to suit your local weather and terrain.
- Ensure that your motorcycle seat and handlebars are at the right height, so that you don’t sit with a hunch and that your wrists are at a comfortable angle.
After all that Adventure!
Rest, rest and rest. Regardless of the pain, you experience, it’s really important that you take good rest after a long dirt ride. This certainly helps you recover from all that exertion!
Motorcycle pain is indeed an alarming effect of a dirt motorcycle ride and could make you sceptical about taking up this adventure. Nobody wants to experience long-term injuries or illnesses in exchange for fun. Therefore, wisdom lies in healthy living and following the fitness mantra in a holistic manner, meaning that you need to build up your body for a dirt bike ride, you need to take the necessary steps while you are actually on the go, and, last but not the least, you must take post-care, i.e. a good rest.
