MotoPT: IMPROVE YOUR MOVE

Words: Matt Daugherty

The Offseason

Hello FTR Family,

That’s a wrap. At the time of this writing, we just completed the 2022/2023 racing season. I hope you had a successful season. Regardless of the outcome, I wanted to offer you some advice for the initial post season activities and help you structure your off season.

The first piece of advice is to rest from riding for a short period of time. I know some of you don’t want to and most of us are addicted to riding but it is important to temporarily stop. Most cells in your body replicate, creating their own replacements for damaged cells, this happens to us each and every day. It is a frenzy of cellular activity. How long before they are replaced depends on your age, type of tissue and genetic factors amongst other things. For example, of the cells that contract your heart, 40% of them have been with you since birth, but those bone cells in your femur. They probably take around 10 years to fully regenerate and mature completely. The cells in your skin are being replaced daily. There is a constant renewal of cells in your body. Without knowing it you replaced about 330 billion cells in your body today.

The cycle of the musculoskeletal system is one of use, rest and then repair. We need to emphasis the rest and repair portions of the cycle. One of my mentors told me to never underestimate the body’s ability to heal. If we respect that healing ability, get appropriate nutrition, and rest our bodies can do amazing things. Think about all the nagging injuries and aches and pains you might be riding with right now. Give your body the proper tools and it can sometimes completely heal those issues. Other times, you need some help. Take this opportunity to address those underlying issues you may be aware of. For example, do you know that your low back pain is linked to your tight hamstrings or limited hip range of motion. The off season is the perfect time to address those issues so you can ride better next season. Our sport is brutal to our bodies, and we need to press the reset button periodically. This time is the perfect opportunity to rest and reset. To clarify, I am saying rest from riding and any high impact exercise.

Lastly, although I said rest from riding I am not advocating complete rest from all activity. The American Heat Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity and two bouts of strength training per week (AHA, 2023). So, keep moving but try and switch from the high impact activities for your cardio work and do more walking, bicycling, swimming and cardio equipment. Remember, I want you to offset some of the high impact training you do every time you ride. Everyone is different but a few weeks of this should give you the rest and recovery you need to make the training push the remainder of the off season as you gradually ramp up your training. Before acting on any information in this article, I highly recommend you consult a physical therapist or physician for a general health and physical activity readiness screening. If you are experiencing pain while riding, it is always beneficial to have a complete evaluation by a physical therapist or physician. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at contact@motopt. com, or call 904-395-5379. Let’s IMPROVE YOUR MOVE so you can ride pain-free with MotoPT.

Dr. Matthew Daugherty PT, DPT, OTR/L, MOT, DBA Associate Professor

Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist

Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists

Manual Therapy Certified