I had a back operation for spinal stenosis last month, after five months of chronic leg pain that made it impossible to cycle, either on-road or on Zwift w/ Kickr Core. Leg pain is gone, thankfully, but so are most of my cycling muscles, and I’m wondering if anyone has thoughts about using Zwift to ramp back up into shape. It would be nice if there were specific PT/post-op training rides available, but I understand that’s not what the platform is about. Nevertheless, any guidance on adapting what’s there into some sort of recovery program would be interesting to hear. TIA, TB
First of all, congrats on getting that done. Not an insubstantial procedure.
I’ve had a few medical issues sideline me for a coupla months at a time in the last 10 years so I’ve got a bit of clue about getting re-started. The key is remembering you’re not in the same condition you were in (obviously but…) and you’re starting at essentially ground zero. Always, always, always, use a heart rate monitor. Know what your zones are and keep your level of effort within the plan for the day. This means start out slow and easy with a lot of Zone One rides. 30 minutes is a good start but if you find that’s too much shorten it up. Try to ride every day but easy. You should not get sore at all; if you do, notch it back.
Get a post ride stretching program started. It will make a huge difference in your recovery and conditioning going forward. HUGE Difference. When I started my stretching 40 years ago at the direction of my physical therapist for patella tendonitis it truly jumpstarted my conditioning program. I cannot stress this enough. There are websites, books and physical therapists to get you going.
Good luck going forward…
You have to go slowly and easily. And do everything according to doctors advise.
Best thing can be to just ride on your own (private events) so you don’t get tempted to chase other people.
This is really helpful, Mark – thanks!
If you’re feeling generally recovered from your injuries and done with PT, I would just start slow to test the waters, turn Zwift’s Trainer Difficulty setting to zero so you don’t have to react to any gradient changes. I wouldn’t do workouts or anything that dictates the resistance or power that you’re required to put out. If that goes well, think about the harder stuff later after you get a bit of aerobic fitness back. You get maximum recovery opportunities by doing rides frequently, so it’s better to go short and ride again in a day or two than push your limits and take more days off.
If you still have access to your PT, consider talking to them about your plans and goals. There’s no such thing as a PT workout without a PT prescribing something.