Yoga for Cyclists

The response to these classes has been so great that we thought we'd talk a little about reasons why we love yoga and cycling:

• Prevention of injury - Hours spent cycling each week can result in overly tight legs, hips, backs, shoulders and necks. Yoga helps to restore flexibility to these target areas and many others, too.
• Increased ability to focus - Staying safe on the road is linked to an ability to be in the present moment and aware of your surroundings at all times. Yoga teaches you how to refine this skill.
• Improved balance - We all know how important it is to have good body awareness when we are weight shifting into tight, fast turns. Yoga is great for refining this skill through the prolonged holding of poses. 
• Awareness of breath - Refining your respiratory skills can bring power and endurance to your training and racing so that you can sprint as needed.
• Strengthening of your core musculature - The focus on abdominal muscular strength in yoga is covertly intense. You really don't realize how hard your body is working in some of the more advanced poses.

(photo from lululemon.com) 

Bicycling Magazine did a nice job of highlighting some entry-level yoga poses you can try at home like cobbler's pose, reclining pigeon pose and bridge pose in one of their recent articles. Active.com describes two slightly more advanced poses such as the pyramid and dolphin. The best thing, though, is to work with a highly trained yoga professional who can give you instant feedback on the safety and effectiveness of your technique.

So if your interest is peaked, come give yoga a try with us! Call the store for details.

Love, Peace and Bicycle Grease, 

Matt & Julie