Pleasure and Pain
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.
Ellee Thalheimer, cycling enthusiast, travel writer, and self-identified "yogini," says she realized as a young athlete and cyclist the value of a complementary and balancing stretching routine. Ellee has found creative ways to incorporate and blend these two passions into her everyday life. For the last two years she has taught a yoga class to a group of cyclists at River City Bicycles in her hometown Portland, Oregon. Mobile yoga is, perhaps, her karmic path. In fall 2007, Ellee travelled a 2,000-mile circuit through Oregon, Washington, and Idaho on her bike. Along the way she offered "Cog-nizant Yoga Classes" at local yoga studios and community centres, and the money raised all went back into local community causes.
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.
Dogma for Cycling
Beyond stretching, bringing mindfulness into the daily commute can help prevent potential pain before it begins. This need not be esoteric, nor involve meditation.
Bike fit - Like a shoe, if your bike doesn't fit properly it will eventually cause pain. Guides to basic bike-fitting can be found all over the Internet, and can also be done in person in most bike shops. According to part-time bike-fitter Peg Labiuk, the most common bike fit issues are pedal alignment and seat height. Even slightly off, these can lead to all kinds of body aches.
Bike baggage - What are you carrying with you? Literally. Backpacks are bad news for most cyclists, especially the type that goes over only one shoulder. Unless designed to be used on a bike, the standard backpack tends to put unnecessary stress on neck and shoulder muscles. Consider using panniers, or invest in a bag designed for cycling.
Zen mind - When we are agitated, nervous, or stressed, our body's reaction is to hunch our shoulders, grip our handlebars tighter, scrunch our faces, and generally project our emotions onto our physical body. Ellee suggests "Quieting your mind and getting in touch with what's really important, makes cycling and your relationship to the physical self clearer and more meaningful." Allied with this is remembering to breathe. Not the deep breathing variety, but rather making a focused effort to breathe evenly and consistently, which causes the body to naturally relax in times of stress or when focused on traffic or obstacles.
Posture - Registered massage therapist Sherri Leigh Iwaschuk says body awareness is the key to efficiency and pain-free cycling. "It's important to remember that you are 3-D. You have a front, a back, and two sides. In relation to your rib cage, a collapsed back or shortened chest will both decrease your breathing capacity and put extra strain on your upper back and neck. Keep your rib cage open, from front to back, and from side to side. When you need extra air, consider expanding your ribs laterally with each breath to increase your lung capacity instead of using your neck muscles."
Spontaneous Acts of Urban Stretching?
Ellee stresses that yoga or stretching does not require a dedicated space or time of day, and says, "Don't be afraid to stretch out in public spaces when you're waiting around." Sherri suggests watching your dog or cat for this kind of inspiration; they provide insight into "when and how to stretch, and they aren't shy about stretching in public."
For more on what Ellee is doing in Portland, and around the world, go to www.elleesyoga.com
Peg Labiuk is a certified NCCP level 3 coach with a career in international road and track racing. She can be reached for bike-fitting at peglabiuk@look.ca
Sherri Leigh Iwaschuk is a registered massage therapist and structural integration practitioner. She is a member of the Chicks Cycling Club, a former bike courier, and an avid cycling commuter. She can be reached at sherrileighrmt@shaw.ca
