What to Do When the Exercise Bike Seat Hurts

If you find that your exercise bike seat hurts, there is a simple solution to the problem: do more. That’s right, riding more often will actually make your sore butt hurt less.

The reason for this is that the more your ride, the more tolerance you build up in your “sit bones.” Almost everyone finds that bike saddles are uncomfortable in the beginning, but once you begin to ride for hours and miles, and become conditioned to the equipment, things do get better.

Some Tips to Prevent Soreness

In the meantime, if the exercise bike seat hurts, there are a few tips you can follow to alleviate some of the soreness you currently experience. First, let’s look at the saddle.

The saddle of a spin bike or a stationary bike is designed to avoid putting pressure on the sit bones as best as possible, but the One-Size-Fits-All application doesn’t always work.

You can try a couple of things to alleviate the problem. Some saddles are mounted on universal posts and can be replaced by a wider and more cushioned saddle, and almost all saddles can be covered with a gel seat cover to provide more cushioning. (People have also used bed pillows and couch cushions will some success.) But padding is not the best solution and should be thought of as only a temporary fix.

Cyclists are strongly advised to buy a pair of bike shorts. If your exercise bike seat hurts, you will likely benefit from wearing the proper shorts designed for movement in the saddle.

Because they are slick on the outside, the fabric moves freely to reduce friction and prevent chafing, plus the chamois crotch design provides added cushioning where it is needed.

Another tip you should try is to change your stance every ten minutes or so. Numbness and soreness in the butt from sitting on a hard saddle is the result of pressure put on the soft tissue surrounding the sit bones.

When blood flow is cut off, you get numb in the derriere and begin to focus more on how uncomfortable you are than on your workout. To overcome butt soreness, you need to rise up off the seat periodically and pedal while standing to keep the blood flowing.

Keep in mind that exercise bike saddles are really not designed to be sat on and carry the full load of your weight. Your body weight is also carried by your legs in the pedals, and even your arms and hands on the handlebars carry some of your weight.

If you are sitting like a Buddha on your bike saddle all the time, then you can expect to be sore because of a poor riding style.

You Are Not Alone

Most everyone has dealt with the same issues of saddle soreness, so don’t feel you can’t do the bike or be tempted to give it up because of discomfort. It will go away if you ride regularly.

Just as your legs will get stronger, and your heart and lungs more conditioned, your tender pelvic region will also get conditioned to the saddle.

Even though your exercise bike seat hurts you now, you should dedicate yourself to putting in as many hours in the saddle as possible. With a good pair of bike shorts, and change-ups in pedal stance, you can eliminate the conditions that cause butt soreness.

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