BTW, I looove pigeon pose. Last weekend’s 40 miler let me dig deeper into Warrior 1/2 than I’ve been in many months. Just don’t have the muscles to hold it there for long. I’m working on the dissociative mindfulness for when there’s 10 miles to go and I just want to get off and walk.
Yoga for the Urban Cyclist
Tara Irwin
Cycling, a source of pleasure for so many people, can also be a source of pain. While low impact and strengthening, cycling is a one-dimensional and repetitive activity, which means certain muscles are being overused and potentially strained. The urban cyclist often also carries a bag, frequently twists to shoulder check, and is possibly tense from cycling in traffic. All of these variables compound the likelihood of muscle strain and pain.
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Ellee says cyclists often come to yoga seeking relief from chronic aches and pains. When asked if she could choose a top five list of stretches for active cyclists, she responded that the “best remedy is a complete yoga practice.” However, she provided the following typical problem areas in the cyclist’s body and suggested related stretches to start with:
Chest openers: the camel, wheel, cobra, upward facing dog, and bow pose.
Hip openers: the pigeon as well as warrior 1 and warrior 2, which are also great for the quads.
Hamstring stretches: forward bend or the wide leg forward bend. Ellee stresses taking at least a minute on each pose “focusing on relaxing into the posture.”
Abdominals: straight leg double leg lifts work well for increasing abdominal strength and are essential for cycling. Ellee suggests that doing at least three minutes of abdominal work a day can improve your riding and has overall stabilizing impacts.
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