Managing & Preventing Pain From Motorcycle Riding
No one wants to give up their favorite hobby due to pain or fatigue. Just like anything else that requires physical exertion, motorcycle riding can lead to muscle soreness, joint pain, and other issues that cause you to curtail your rides and avoid your bike for fear of adding to the pain. But there are steps you can take to prevent pain from riding your motorcycle, in addition to strategies that will mitigate the pain if it happens. Read on to learn more about motorcycle pain prevention & management.
An Ounce of Prevention
The best strategy is to stop pain from occurring in the first place, which you’ll do by altering your riding routine just a little bit in the following ways.
Stretching
Before you climb on your bike, why not warm up those muscles? You use your arms, thighs, and core muscles when riding your motorcycle to stay upright and balanced, so perform some stretches that activate these muscles and get them moving. A few minutes of gentle stretching now can stave off agony later.
Taking More Frequent Breaks
Often, our bodies alert us to potential soreness and fatigue with signals that we may choose to ignore. Instead, try to listen to what your body is telling you. Take more frequent breaks on your rides to allow yourself to get off the bike, remove your helmet, walk around, and drink some water. You’ll feel refreshed and able to continue riding if you just give yourself some time off your bike every hour or so.
Management
Of course, you may still experience some soreness or pain after riding, no matter how much you prepared yourself. Here are some ways to alleviate your pain.
Over-the-Counter Painkillers
First, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your current medication regimen and whether you should add over-the-counter painkillers to it. There may be some medications that interact with each other and talking with your doctor is the best way to find out what medications can and cannot be taken in conjunction.
Over-the-counter medications such as naproxen, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen can all help to reduce inflammation, which is a common cause of soreness and swelling. Follow the directions for these medications and avoid alcohol while using them.
Ice and Heat
Applying either an ice pack or a heating pad or a warm compress to your sore joints can really help to reduce the pain as well. Use either for about 20 minutes and never apply ice or a heating pad directly to your skin. Instead, wrap them in a towel to keep them from damaging your skin. A warm shower or bath may also work wonders!
Stop by our dealership located in Edmonton, AB, to take a look at our inventory of new and used motorcycles for sale. Talk to one of our staff if you’d like assistance with financing your motorcycle purchase. Alberta Cycle is proud to serve our customers in and around Edmonton and Grande Prairie, AB.