If riding a motorcycle involves a certain amount of physical activity, traveling by motorcycle makes that effort last longer. So there will be parts that may suffer and, without a doubt, one of those areas of our body that will do so and, furthermore, if it does, it will ruin the trip, is the back.
Taking care of your back before the trip is essential
That is why, just as we prepare the trip in other aspects, we prepare ourselves as best as possible to travel by motorcycle without ending up with a burst back. So, in reality, the first advice that we must take into account is to be in the best physical condition possible because, according to specialists, the back suffers more than we think. That’s why the fitter we are, the less likely we are to suffer back problems while traveling.
But this doesn’t come out of nowhere, not even five minutes before. What’s more, if you’re thinking about traveling by motorcycle this summer vacation and you’re no longer taking care of your back and working on it, you’re just going to go. One of the activities that most helps to tone your back (you don’t need to become The Rock) is swimming, and with two sessions a week it is something that can be achieved. Of course, the gym or running helps, and also regular motorcycle riding.
It is important not to fall into a mistake that is often made, not so much when traveling by motorcycle but when doing sports in general, and that is not warming up before and not stretching afterwards. Be careful, there are those who stretch their muscles before and that, in theory, reduces muscle strength and power.
Planning how to travel by motorcycle correctly means having a belt on hand and knowing where to stop.
Planning remains key and so does prevention. And when the back and more specifically the kidney area starts to bother us, we are already too late. That is why it is best to protect yourself beforehand with a girdle. There are back protectors that come as standard, but if not, as simple as an elastic support belt will make the situation much easier.
To this we must add that the sections we do must have a reasonable duration, and we must have planned stops. Not wanting to stop is not a good idea, neither for safety nor for physical reasons. In the end it is better to make several short stops, and recover and rest the most compromised areas of the back and also the neck, than to make only one longer stop. What’s more, when stopping, a little light stretching and mobilization of the areas that have been most rigid will help us continue the trip with greater comfort.
Logically, as in all areas of our lives, adequate hydration is essential. This is not just about whether it helps us with our back or not. Traveling by motorcycle in summer carries the risk of becoming dehydrated almost without realizing it, and that is why being well equipped and drinking water will help reduce it.
In the end, once again, above all, you have to use common sense so that traveling by motorcycle is a memorable experience, and not agony.
