Knee pain from cycling

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OhReally42
OhReally42 Posts: 138 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just bought myself an upright bike to use at home. I've been able to hop on it every other nights about 4 times so far but my knees just start to kill the moment I start pedalling. I started with my resistance at 1 and it seems best on resistance 3 other wise its not enough. I tried moving my seat up and that helped for the first 5 minutes but the pain came back. Anyone have any tips on something I could do to improve my form or any reason this could be hurting my knees so much? I've also been going in chunks of 15 minutes and stopping to do a quick stretch and complete when I'm at an hour.

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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Make sure you have your fit set up right. If I don't have my bike saddle adjusted fore/aft, or height correctly, I get a lot of knee strain.
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
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    It might not be for you. I can't run at all because my knees will hurt for a week afterward.
  • ModQuad
    ModQuad Posts: 20
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    Make sure you have your fit set up right. If I don't have my bike saddle adjusted fore/aft, or height correctly, I get a lot of knee strain.

    This! Get fit by a professional who ensures that your leg is bent to the proper angle for your fitness and flexibility throughout your pedal stroke. Your saddle might be too high or too low.
  • iamMLH
    iamMLH Posts: 101 Member
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    I've suffered from knee pains for years (and had three surgeries before I was 20). I've suffered ever since, but recently I discovered that my knee pain was caused by weak muscles in my knees and really tight hamstrings. That may not be the cause for you, but doing very controlled bodyweight squats (in a doorway for support and to have very deliberate and controlled form) and stretching my hamstrings after every workout has made me a new man.

    Like I said, that may not work for you, but biking can really tighten hamstrings up in my experience.

    Good luck.
  • Jett_05
    Jett_05 Posts: 95 Member
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    A lot of knee pain can be due to tight hamstrings, glutes, and a locked up IT band. Hip misalignments can also lead to knee pain (something many new mommas will discover once they hop on a stationary bike. Along with making sure your bike saddle is properly adjusted, make sure you are really stretching out. I typically stretch after my workouts but it doesn't hurt to stretch a little before jumping into a workout if you are really stiff.

    I usually recommend eka pada rajakapotasana (one legged royal pigeon) - http://yogaanatomy.net/eka-pada-rajakapotasana/ obviously the back bend is optional. This move really helps to open the hips and stretch out one of the big culprits of hip misalignments; the psoas major. Standard forward bends are also helpful as well as low lunges.

    If the problem persist despite adjusting the seat and stretching, consider investing in some massages. Make sure you find someone who is proficient in trigger point work and /or myofacial release and isn't afraid to work the glutes. It can do wonders. A big part of my job as a massage therapists is addressing this very issue in athletes and particularly cyclist.
  • scottburger104
    scottburger104 Posts: 90 Member
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    knees should be close to strait at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

    foam rolling my IT band and improving the tissue quality was the best thing I've ever done for my knees i think. painful though.

    google "fix my knee pain" if you dont have anything needing surgery this is a good self help program

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