How to Recover from a Long Bike Ride

Most bike riders expect to feel tired after a long ride. If you have ridden a long way for the first time, you may not expect to feel depressed, lightheaded, or even ill. These feelings can cause concern as they can seem to indicate that a worrisome condition is at work. In most cases, if you have truly pushed yourself a bit too hard, there is no reason to worry. While you might consider looking for comfort bikes or electric assistance for your next ride, you can also do a few things to help your recovery:

Rest

While science is still grappling with the physiological reasons that humans need to sleep, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that sleep is an essential part of recovery from normal daily exertion. In cases of abnormally high exertion, sleep is even more important, so you should plan on sleeping a few extra hours the morning after a long ride. Unfortunately, resting appropriately is not always sufficient to completely recover. If possible, plan a buffer day after you have overexerted yourself so you can fully recover. You shouldn’t feel the need to sleep right after a workout, but if you do, you should always listen to your body. If you consistently feel exhausted, think about shortening future rides.

Take a Warm Bath

When your muscles have been strained, it takes time for them to recover. Among a handful of things that can speed up muscle recovery, a warm bath is perhaps the easiest and most relaxing to do at home. As you sit in your bath, you increase blood flow to muscles, stimulate recovery, relax your nervous system, and ease muscle tension.

Plan Your Route

If your current exhaustion is the result of poor planning, an obvious next step is to plan your future rides so they don’t result in extreme fatigue or other unpleasant symptoms. While you may be capable of adjusting your body to lengthy rides, you should try to work your way up to them slowly so that you feel invigorated but not exhausted when you arrive at home. If you want to extend your range quickly, an electric bike is always a good choice. If you live in a hilly area and are wondering how steep a hill can an electric bike climb, know that there are plenty of different motors for different slopes.

Eat a Healthy Meal With Plenty of Proteins and Complex Carbs

Foods that help with recovery include:

Complex carbohydrates

Leafy greens

Omega-3 fatty acids

Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D

Protein

Eating right after a workout is as important as sleep, since doing so gives your body the building blocks it needs to recover. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats and low in protein or nutrients, since your body uses up energy trying to process these foods.

After a long ride, you may be feeling a range of emotions, from accomplishment to frustration. Realize that these are reflection of your body’s internal state. If you find yourself feeling defeated often on your regular route or if you simply want to extend your range, look for cheap electric bikes for sale or reroute your ride.