BUZZ: YOGA FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS
How to be more agile, mobile and thoughtful on the bike, with yoga
Yoga does more than just make you limber and less prone to injury, you’ll gain better awareness of your body positioning, something that’ll help you ride faster and safer. Plus, yoga builds your focussing power, ideal for getting into the flow state on the trail
Dropping some simple yoga poses into your post-ride routine will unlock huge benefits on the bike. “That’s because yoga isn’t just about flexibility, it is what we need to do to be more agile, mobile and mindful as mountain bikers,” says Karen Maidment, mountain biker and founder of Soul Connection Yoga. With that in mind (and body) we look at three ways yoga boosts your mental and physical awareness.
PERFECT PROPRIOCEPTION
Yoga increases proprioception, the awareness of the position and the movement of your body. Understanding where your body is in space and time will help you process what you are doing on the bike. This will allow you to respond instinctively to changes and features on the trail. Single-leg poses or balance work in a yoga practice will have you feeling the benefit on the next bit of skinny singletrack. “Getting your body to adapt to what your bike is doing in accordance with the terrain is key,” says Karen, “poses that help your body adapt to changing environments will give you a better sense of control when you are on your bike.”
MASTERING MOBILITY
“The biggest thing I see with riders is impaired mobility from injury,” says Karen. “Things like collarbone breaks, hamstring tears and hip impingements. Working on areas that take a hit when riding, like our wrists, ankles and shoulders, can help us to recover quicker from injuries or even prevent injuries in the first place.”
A long day on the trails can see you hold the same position for hours. Our split-stance attack position, with head carriage looking down the trail, can result in tightness and prohibited movement. A few minutes in yoga poses that counter the habitual patterns we adopt in riding can keep us out on the trails for longer.
NAILING YOUR FOCUS
Yoga and mountain biking share the same mantra of getting into the zone. “If you are tackling a new feature, whether you’re racing or doing anything that is pushing you to the edge of your capability, you want your mind completely focused but your body relaxed and responsive to what you’re about to do,” Karen says. She integrates mindful breathing through all her yoga practices and promises that the ability to maintain a steady, calm breathing rate will give you a sense of calm on the trails where you might typically feel anything but. “Life is super-unpredictable for everyone right now, introducing some kind of breathing practice will be beneficial to anyone whether you’re on the trail or not.”
SPINAL MOBILITY
Sit or kneel. Reach your right arm up. Turn the arm towards your face from the armpit to the palm. Reach the fingertips down your back.
Reach the left arm up. Turn the arm away from your face from the armpit to the palm. Sweep the arm back, reaching fingertips up to the neck. Lengthen top elbow up. Draw bottom arm shoulder back. Look ahead and breathe for up to 10 breaths. Note: Your hands do not need to touch behind your back.
HIP & GLUTE STRETCH
Lay on your back, knees bent. Cross your right ankle over left thigh. Hold the bent right foot and knee, directing the knee gently away and foot towards you. If this stretch is enough, stay here and breathe. To increase the stretch, bring both legs towards you. Swap sides.
Hold for up to one minute each side.