Picture yourself on a pretty trail, the sun shining down on you, the breeze in your hair, and perfect pedal strokes. When you get off, your spine now has more weight for some reason. You been here before right? You know the Drill. The bike strain. The yoga life saver.
Think-Why try yoga? Just think of the body as a finely tuned instrument. Since you are already riding, your legs are probably incredibly powerful; but what of flexibility? Here steps in yoga to maintain muscular suppleness. A cycle from Louise on her first 100 miles, And she will not give up twice a week yoga. “I felt like I had wings!” she enthused.
Overridden in the saddle? Hips on fire. You get a release from Pigeon Pose which also gently nudges around your locked down hips. Include a downward-facing dog for some back rub, and you are good to go!
Now shift your focus to breathing_ Elastic as it can be, respiration often goes unnoticed. Yoga translates your control over breath into an ace in the hole. Think about climbing a particularly mountain. Your legs grind away, yet a constant flow is discovered through controlled breathing. Pure magic.
Magical as it may seem, so does the recovery. Lots of times, we riders go so hard. Yoga has slower paced postures & practices intended for muscle fatigue decrease. your muscles say ‘aaaahhh’ after a hard day.
That’s not always the whole story though. The magnetic pull of cycling always keeps you coming back for more. Excitement peaks, adrenaline rushes. Yoga helps bring your body in sync with your mind so you can keep that sparkle going.