Yoga For Biking? How They Can Work Together

By Faye Martins

Bicycling is a great form of exercise. Cyclists are prone to injury though. Biking for long stretches can lead to soreness in your lower back and hips. Improper form can also cause tightness in your neck and shoulders. In addition, bicycling requires endurance. Without that endurance, a cyclist can tire easily. Yoga for biking can help you get the most out of your riding. Plus, they're both fun!

Firstly, it is important for bicyclists to prevent tightness in the neck and shoulders. Lengthening the spine will help with proper form. Having improper form can lead to long-term and short-term discomfort. Simply being aware of your spine can help a bicyclist. Moving your shoulders down and away from your ears will ease much of the tension. With improper form, many people put too much pressure on their wrists. Proper alignment and a stronger spine will cause less wrist pain. It will also lead to a stronger upper body. Bridge pose is an example of a great pose to work on for tightness in the neck and shoulders.

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The lower part of your body also suffers when cycling. Many body parts become overdeveloped and tight. They overcompensate for weaker areas. It is important to lengthen those overdeveloped muscles by stretching. Strengthening your core in yoga can help your whole body work together and make you a stronger and safer bicyclist. It will also protect your lower back while cycling. Increased flexibility can help prevent major injury from a fall as well. One major issue bicyclists deal with is tight hips. Balancing out the hips will prevent lower back and pelvic injuries. Tight hips can also cause iliotibial band friction syndrome. Stretching out your hips will make your pedaling movements much more comfortable and quick! Pyramid pose and warrior one will be helpful for all of these issues, including core strength and hip flexibility. Pigeon pose is also a great way to stretch out.

A less obvious reason to practice yoga is the mindfulness it can help you achieve. You will become more aware of how your body is working what what needs to be adjusted. Yoga requires very thoughtful breathing, which can be so helpful when riding a bike too. More mindful breathing and thought will help in stressful situations, such as a race, especially. Mindfulness can help with endurance as well. Yoga can help improve your lung volumes and chest wall expansion. You may want to practice pranayama to improve your breath.

Yoga is an entire body and mind experience. To reach your full potential as a cyclist, trying new ways to improve can take you to that next level. Yoga incorporates so many of the issues that can come up when you are on a bike. Many studios actually have both cycling and yoga too! You can choose to do one or the other at any time. Many even have a cycling class followed by yoga class specifically for the cyclists. Whether you want to use yoga for strength, breathing, to relax, or all the above, it might be a great addition to your exercise regimen.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

Article Source: Yoga For Biking? How They Can Work Together