BE A HEALTHY RIDER WITH AURORA HEALTH CARE

Gear-up with these pre-, during and post-Ride tips, compliments of Aurora Health Care. To assist in your training efforts, download the Rider's Training Log to keep track of your miles as you prepare for this year's event.

After your ride, enjoy a complimentary chair massage or a chiropractic spinal screening provided by Aurora Health Care! Look for the Aurora tent on the Summerfest grounds.

Before you hit the road, tune up your body and your bike! Maximize your fun while minimizing your risk of injury with these "healthy rider tips" from the Aurora Sports Medicine Institute.

1.   Tune up your bike.
Have your brakes, tires, chain and shifters tuned up by a mechanic. A simple tune up like this can ensure that your bicycle is operating safely and working well.

2.   Wear a Helmet.
Helmets are required for the Ride. A helmet is undeniably your best protection from any impact to your head; even professional cyclists consistently wear helmets.

3.   Food and drink.
Depending on the route length that you have chosen, have something to eat before you ride. Some riders like to have pancakes or waffles (carbohydrates) or might select something lighter like eggs (protein). Just be sure that whatever you eat is easy on your stomach.
During the ride, don't forget to drink water and eat some food. Eight ounces (8 oz.) of water or energy drink every 15 to 30 minutes is a good benchmark.

4.   Warm up.
If you can fit it in, a short ride from your car to registration or to the start line will help get your muscles loosened up and ready to go.

5.   Stretch before.
After a short warm up, give your major muscle groups a light stretch. Concentrate on your back, legs, arms/shoulders and even your neck. Stretch to the point of feeling a pull, not pain; hold for at least 30 seconds and repeat two to three times. A little stretching can go a long way in preventing a number of injuries.

6.   Ride within your limits.
If you have not ridden at all this year, limit your Miller Lite ride to 25 miles. It is recommended that you participate in a pre-event ride that is at least half the distance you plan to do for the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts.

7.   Start off slowly.
Once you get the blood moving, you can pick up the pace if you'd like. Starting off too fast might cause you to get too tired before the end of the ride and take some of the fun out of the experience. Pick a pace that you can maintain for the entire ride.

8.   Ride courteously.
Remember that the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts event is a ride, not a race.

9.   Stretch after.
Many muscle groups can tighten up during a ride, especially your back and your hips. Following your ride, stretch out the major muscle groups in your back, legs, arms/shoulders and your neck. As mentioned earlier, a little stretching can go a long way to prevent a number of injuries.

If you get injured during this riding season, call the experts at the Aurora Sports Medicine Institute. Their experienced team of physical therapists and licensed athletic trainers offer Free Injury Evaluations at all eight of their locations - Brookfield, Burlington, Kenosha, Mequon, Milwaukee, Oconomowoc, West Bend and Whitefish Bay.

Don't let a nagging pain or injury stop you! Call 1-800-219-7776 to schedule a Free Injury Evaluation.

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