I am 41, M, and have been racing for over a decade. Many IMs, etc.
Now, I have never been all that flexible. I can’t sit on the floor and touch my toes with my legs straight. Never could.
But over the past year or so I have notice I am getting much worse. I am at a point where I really can’t even put on my socks easily. I have to contort myself in strange ways to be able to reach my feet in a way that lets me get my shoes and socks on.
I wasn’t sure what the deal was, so I googled “cant put on socks”. Dr Google tells me I have osteoarthritis and I am going to need a hip replacement. OK that’s extreme and doubtful. I am too young for that and I have no pain of any kind. I just cant get my leg lifted high enough to get my foot into my hand.
A little more googling tells me it’s my hips that are simply too tight and that I need to do some strength and stretching work to try to fix it. I do a 1hr yoga class once a week, but obviously that isn’t enough.
What exercises/stretches/etc can I do, in context of full training load (IM coming up in May), that can help me be able to do basic human things like put my shoes on without a struggle?
Sounds like hamstring flexibility to me? I’d do a daily stretching routine for quads, hams, calves, hips, core and see what happens after a couple weeks.
My hip/low back issues are of a different nature than yours (twisted pelvis), but I downloaded and paid for an annual subscription to Virtual Mobility Coach after many other forms of self care and even in person PT didn’t help much. It’s been a big help for me - while I’ve known the exercises to do, throwing a video on and doing them for the correct amount of time and in the correct way has kept me more engaged.
Similar age and experience although some of mine was showing up in the low back too. An MD pointed me to this 12 minute routine. if I do it every day, things feel much better. If I slack for a week or so, I will start to feel the tightness getting out of bed in the morning.
One thing that I’ve found helpful is to foam roll around my pelvis before going into a stretching routine.
Per the article below:
Foam rolling should be done before static or dynamic stretching activities, improving the tissue’s ability to lengthen during stretching activities.
Basically it alleviates the knots before you lengthen the muscles. It can be done with a foam roller or a lacrosse ball.
Once the muscles and tendons around the pelvis are mobilized, then I throw in some strength training. Things like glute bridges, banded clam shells, monster walks, etc.
Sounds like hamstring flexibility to me? I’d do a daily stretching routine for quads, hams, calves, hips, core and see what happens after a couple weeks.
I’m quite flexible in my hips, but when, in the spring, I start training on the TT I always have problems with my hamstrings in the aeroposition but that goes away after a couple of trainings. So my advice to the OP is to ride as much of the bike training time in aeroposition.
Yoga, and not just any Yoga. On the Wahoo Fitness App or you can go direct to her website Abi Carver is brilliant. She specializes in 15 minutes sessions for athletes. I have been doing it for 5 years or so. When I started I sucked. Every single pose was difficult. Today if something is hurting me, I know exactly which routine to use to work it out. My wife is so impressed with my yoga routine she sometimes joins me. As soon as Abi´s soothing voice comes on the dog lays down next to the mat
It’s a simple routine and it has worked wonders. I am 57 and am heading out for a 10 mile Fartlek an I believe my ability to do that regularly is tied in part to Abi Carver.
I’ve started using the ECFit app. $20 a month and tons of mobility work. May be worth a look.
How are you liking the ECFIT app sessions? Worth it? How many sessions a week are you doing? Is it just mobility or does it include strength and plyometrics as well?