ASK THE EXPERTS
FITNESS EXPERT
Nolan Sunnassee is a strength and conditioning coach, specialising in weight loss and rehabilitation(onlinepersonaltraining.tv).
Q I’m fitter now thanks to cycling everywhere instead of taking public transport, but I feel a tightness and pain in one of my hips. How can I prevent this?
A Any movement or activity that you do over and over has a tendency to shorten certain muscle groups. Cycling is great as it challenges your leg muscles and works your cardio system, but it doesn’t really strengthen your bum muscles – it’s the quads and hip flexors that work the most. With cycling, you never fully extend your legs, so the muscles around the hips get tight. The solution is to first see an osteopath or physio, depending on the severity of the discomfort, but also to stretch at home. You want to lengthen your quads and hip flexors. Do this by standing on one leg and holding
