View From The Treatment Room at Hednesford Town FC

An important addition to my equipment in the treatment room is an exercise bike. It is a useful item because I can get players who are injured especially with strains and lower limb problems to still do some active rehabilitation which is good for their morale as players hate being injured. They want to train but the pain stops them especially when they are running around the pitch. It still allows an aerobic exercise which is good for maintaining fitness while they are recovering from an injury. Regular exercise stimulates the muscles to carry oxygen and healing nutrients more efficiently. It can work as an excellent pain relief too because it releases a natural pain blocker called endorphins.

Static bikes are great for helping to strengthen the hamstrings in the back of the thigh and improve the imbalance with the quadriceps. There are two components in pedaling. Imagine the foot going in a circle. The `push` motion on the down stroke helps the quads while the pull motion on the up stroke works the hamstrings.

I like having it available on training night. It attracts fit players to get on it too and ride it which is fine for me as it is getting players warmed up before they go out on the pitch. I recall seeing two substitutes at Fulham Football club on `Match of the Day` at the start of this season using bikes on the pitchside as their warm up routine. Exercise biking provides a gentle, low-impact workout without putting too much stress on the body. Although some forms of exercise may be too rough for injured players such as running or even biking on the road, riding a stationary exercise bike allows them to engage in exercise without jarring the body. It keeps the body in a proper position of alignment.

It is great for keeping joints flexible, reduces stiffness and strengthens the muscles that support the joints, while still being comfortable and low impact. Using an exercise bike is an efficient way to exercise in an indoor environment. It works your legs, heart and lungs too.  To avoid boredom vary your routine each week Ideally, this form of exercise should be done at least three days a week for at least 20 minutes each time. The players pulse should be raised to 60 to 85 percent of his maximum heart rate.