Shoulders up or down?

chrisaonabike
chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
edited July 2014 in Training, fitness and health
Finding on long rides that I end up with hunched shoulders, ie torso suspended low between shoulders high.

Getting a sore neck (lower neck, I guess around cervical vertebrae 5/6), wondering if the shoulder posture might be related.

Is it worth putting the effort into getting used to riding with shoulders low rather than hunched?
Is the gorilla tired yet?

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Hunched suggests 'tense' - non-hunched suggests 'relaxed' - you choose ;)
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    Imposter wrote:
    Hunched suggests 'tense' - non-hunched suggests 'relaxed' - you choose ;)
    No, it's not really that. It may be a bad posture, but it's actually more relaxed at present, with shoulders up relative to the rest of my upper body, than if I force them down.

    It's like my torso is hanging from the frame created by the bars, my arms, and my shoulders. Just wondering if that might be causing other problems.

    The neck soreness may be completely unrelated, of course - recently I've been adopting a slightly more aero position, with hands slightly further fowards than in the classic 'hoods' position, so I'm leaning a little more fowards. So my head needs to tilt slightly more up than it used to, which could be causing the neck soreness.

    Dunno, just that with RL100 coming up, and my last few rides up around the 70-80 mile distance, the last thing I want is pain.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Protraction, retraction, elevation & depression - all movements of the shoulder blades in relation to the spine...
    sounds like you are not riding at neutral.. probably due to fatigue even if you think it is down to a different position you are adopting.
    Keeping a position that is not neutral for longish times can (as you suspect) give you problems in other areas causing possible pain.
    Make sure your headgear is not obstructing forward view - includes sunglasses - the top rim
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    JGSI wrote:
    probably due to fatigue
    Ha, good point. I think that may well have something to do with it. I've been doing quite a lot more in the way of longish rides recently - several 50s, a 60 and a couple of 70s.
    Make sure your headgear is not obstructing forward view - includes sunglasses - the top rim
    Another good point, I'll check that. Ta

    However, despite the fatigue, is it worth consciously holding a more neutral posture, in an attempt to train myself to find the neutral position natural?
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    ChrisAOnABike wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    probably due to fatigue
    Ha, good point. I think that may well have something to do with it. I've been doing quite a lot more in the way of longish rides recently - several 50s, a 60 and a couple of 70s.
    Make sure your headgear is not obstructing forward view - includes sunglasses - the top rim
    Another good point, I'll check that. Ta

    I only know 'cos I find myself getting also into 'bad' habits towards the end of a ride

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