Spinal stenosis is a serious health condition that causes the patient discomfort and back pain. Well, if you’ve lumbar spinal stenosis issues and are avid riding an exercise bike, you should jump on it. Riding an exercise bike is the best form of aerobic exercise that doesn’t impact the lumbar spine.
This aerobic exercise helps keep the spinal structures healthy, strengthen the muscles, and reduce back pain. In addition to reducing back pain, riding an exercise bike will improve the effectiveness and quality of patients suffering from chronic lumbar spine stenosis.
Well, if you’re still wondering why is riding an exercise bike good for lumbar spinal stenosis, follow this article. Here you’ll know about it and other exercise bike and lumbar spinal stenosis-related facts briefly.
What Is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a chronic back pain condition that narrows the spinal canal in the lower back. This type of narrowing condition arises from issues such as disc herniation and degenerative disc disease. Spinal stenosis can occur due to degenerative diseases, old age, and several injury issues.
When we get old, our discs lose height and nutrition, which leads to narrowing conditions. Well, the good news is, the lumbar spinal stenosis issue can be reduced in many ways, including a natural way.
Among many ways, using an exercise bike for spinal stenosis reduction can be an effective solution. Riding an exercise bike will put less impact and less jarring, which helps to relieve lower back pain issues effortlessly. An exercise bike will also aid to improve posture position as well.
Is Riding An Exercise Bike Good For Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
Since riding an exercise bike is a form of aerobic exercise, it’ll help to address lumbar spinal stenosis. The exercise bike will put less stress on the lower back, and riding it will put less jarring to the spine.
An exercise bike works with other muscle groups and helps relieve and heal lumbar spine pain. However, you must know how to ride the bike properly without putting any impact on the spinal. Learn how to ride an exercise bike properly to reduce lumbar spinal stenosis by following the below steps:
Seat Height:
First, you need to adjust the seat height for a comfortable seat position. If you don’t know how to find the comfortable seat position, follow the below steps:
- First, stand on any side of your exercise bike. (near the seat)
- Now adjust the seat height by raising or lowering the seat to your hip level.
Seat Fore:
After adjusting the seat height, you have to ensure the seat’s comfort position. Move the seat forward and backward as your preference, so that you can easily ride the exercise bike without putting pressure on your lower back.
Handlebar Height:
The handlebar is another essential thing you need to give a close look. You need to adjust the handlebars so that your spine is in a neutral position. The wrong handlebar position can put a lot of stress on your lower back.
Adjust the exercise bike’s handlebar higher will put less stress and comfortable position. However, you should still try to lean forward because sitting completely straight can compress the lower back.
Foot Straps:
Almost all exercise bikes come with a leg strap function, and it helps to pull and push the pedals effortlessly. Adjust the straps tightly, so your foot will not come out easily. However, adjusting the straps too tightly can make it difficult to move your legs.
Posture:
Last but not the least, you must need to keep your posture in a proper position. You need to relax your shoulders, keep your chest up and bend your elbows. Remember never round your back because it aids back and lower back pain.
Exercise Bike Workout Plan For Someone With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
When you’re stuffing from a chronic or mild level lumbar spinal stenosis, you need to set your exercise plan carefully. Specially, you need to set a perfect and low-impact plan while riding an exercise bike with lumbar spinal stenosis.
You should aim to ride your exercise bike for at least 150 minutes in a week. However, you should take two days off from any exercise in a week to give rest and healing time to the muscles.
Riding a bike five days a week for 30 minutes every day would be the ideal option. Always warm up and follow the proper posture position while riding an exercise bike with lumbar spinal stenosis.
Bottom Line
Back pain, especially spinal stenosis, can make all types of physical activity unbearable. Well, lumbar spinal stenosis can be cured in several ways, and practicing aerobic exercise is one of them. However, not all aerobic exercises are suitable for lumbar spinal stenosis, and some can worsen the condition.
In that case, using an exercise bike for lumbar spinal stenosis conditions could be the best solution. Since you know whether is riding an exercise bike good for lumbar spinal stenosis or not, start using it for your betterment. Riding an exercise bike will keep the spinal rosy and also helps to reduce back pain as well.