When was the last time you had a proper warm-up before cycling? How many minutes on average do you spend warming up? While most cyclists can get away with only a few minutes of warm-up, or even none at all, during quick trail rides, it’s a different story if you’re going for a long trail ride this time.

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Long trail rides will push you to your limits in terms of your MTB skills, endurance, body coordination, and overall strength. Make sure your body is well-oiled before jumping on the trail with these warm-up exercises:

1. Leg stretches and arm rotations are a must.

Don’t take leg and arm exercises for granted; they are present in every warm-up routine for a reason. Make sure to do a variety of stretches to really warm up as many muscles in your legs and arms as possible.

2. Do quick cardio warm-ups like jumping jacks.

Riding your bike at full intensity immediately from rest can shock your system, especially your heart. Let your body know you’re in for an endurance challenge soon by getting your heart rate up through jumping jacks and other exercises.

3. Spend enough time stretching your back.

Back pain is a very common problem among cyclists because many don’t stretch their backs enough before and after a ride. Do a seal pose or a downward dog to give your back a good stretch for at least five minutes.

4. Ride easy for at least 10 minutes.

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Don’t get too excited and try to break your fastest speed record just yet. Let your body warm up gradually and naturally by spinning easily for ten minutes. Increase the time if you intend to go on an extra-long trail ride.

5. Speed up for 10 minutes or so following your easy ride.

If you know you’ll be in for a real challenge today, follow up your easy ride with a higher intensity spin for another 10 minutes. This will prep your body and further raise your body temperature to get into active mode.

Warm-ups aren’t a waste of time and energy as some cyclists think. You’ll actually save more energy by letting your body warm up first instead of forcing it to go all-out straight away. Ultimately, warming up can save you from irreversible long-term injuries in your MTB journey so never take them for granted especially for long trail rides.

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