Preventing Pain From Riding Your Motorcycle

When you’re riding your motorcycle, you can end up in some amount of pain due to muscle and joint soreness. You obviously don’t want to stop riding altogether, so what can you do? There are some preventative measures you can take to stop pain from happening in the first place, in addition to some strategies to employ when you experience pain from riding. Try some or all of these tips to improve your riding experience.

Prevention

It’s helpful to do things that will protect you from incurring an injury or suffering pain. Here are a few practices you can incorporate into your riding routine that may stave off soreness later.

Do Some Stretches

If you’ve ever done any sports or other physical activities, from dancing to yoga to baseball to running, you’ve undoubtedly recognized the need to stretch before and after you perform the given activity. Gentle stretching allows your muscles to warm up before you put them to use, which helps you to be less stiff and more mobile. 

When it comes to riding a motorcycle, you’ll want to stretch your core, your arms, your shoulders, and your legs. Taking a short walk around the block before you climb on your bike can also help you loosen up.

Take Breaks Frequently

If you commonly find yourself in pain after a few hours of riding, why not break up your rides with more frequent breaks? Don’t be ashamed to take breaks; it’s a sign that you’re listening to your body and being proactive about giving it what it needs. A simple ten-minute break lets you walk around, drink some water, have a snack, stretch your back, and cool off before you hop back on again.

Pain Relief 

Of course, you may still experience pain even if you’ve taken care to stretch and take breaks. In that case, here are some recommendations to relieve soreness and stiffness.

Applying Ice & Heat

You can alternate ice and heat on sore joints and muscles, using either an ice pack wrapped in a towel or a heating pad on a low setting for about 20 minutes at a time. A warm bath or shower may also help loosen up tension. Make sure that you’re not leaving ice or heat on your body so long that you damage your skin, though.

Using OTC Painkillers

Another common strategy for coping with motorcycle-riding pain is to use an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen. Of course, it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor before using painkillers regularly and to make sure that you stay within recommended dosage guidelines. Don’t mix painkillers with each other or with alcohol or other recreational drugs.

When it’s time to buy a new or used motorcycle, stop by our Upper Darby, PA, dealership location to take a look at our current inventory of bikes for sale. Crossroad Powersports is proud to serve our customers in greater Philadelphia, PA, and Wilmington, DE.