How To Prevent Butt Soreness After Your Spin Class
If you've ever experienced any butt soreness after an intense spin class, you're not alone. As a matter of fact, it's completely normal to experience some soreness and discomfort in your butt and crotch area the day after cycling. That's because spin bike seats can be pretty uncomfortable to sit on. According to Refinery29, this soreness is caused by the way your weight is distributed in the seat. When you're sitting on a bike seat, your entire weight is distributed on two tiny bones in your pelvis region. This can result in butt soreness, depending on how long you stay in this position.
While it's not uncommon to feel sore after spin class, however, you shouldn't feel any pain (via Shape). If you do begin to experience actual pain in your lower body after cycling, this is a sign that you should stop. "Pain is never normal," Dr. Lauren Streicher, a gynecologist and women's sexual health expert, told Shape. "It's your body telling you to stop doing something."
Tips to make your butt feel more comfortable
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help prevent soreness and discomfort from occurring in the first place. As it turns out, you can help take some pressure off your butt and pelvis bones by engaging your core while cycling. According to Well+Good, relying on your core muscles can help redistribute your weight from your butt to your midsection. To do this, bend your elbows and pull your belly button toward your spine. This will help strengthen and stabilize your core.
Another way to help prevent butt soreness is to adjust your stationary bike so it aligns properly with your body (via Refinery29). Adjusting the height and depth of your bike seat before starting your workout will help you feel more comfortable both during and after spin class. Ultimately, your seat should be a forearm's distance away from the handlebars. It may also help to sit further back on the seat, where the material tends to be squishier.
How to get rid of butt soreness after spin class
If you're already experiencing butt soreness, however, you can help treat and get rid of this soreness by doing yoga or light stretches. While dynamic stretching is better suited for pre-workout warm-ups, light stretching and yoga poses can help ease soreness and stiffness after spin class by mobilizing your hips and legs (via Women's Health). In fact, poses like downward dog, pigeon pose, or just touching your toes can be especially helpful for your post-workout recovery.
"So if you could touch your toes before spin class but can't after, you're potentially having negative effects on your body's ability to maintain normal range of motion," Luke Greenberg, a physical therapist and co-founder of MotivNY, told Women's Health. You can also reduce the intensity of your spin workouts or do kettlebell exercises to help strengthen your lower body. Sometimes, however, you might just need to take a break and wait a few days for your body to adapt and recover before getting back on your bike.