5 Essential Yoga Poses and Exercises For Cyclists

Cycling is a great way to stay in shape and get from place to place, but if you're a cyclist who also enjoys practicing yoga, you will likely wonder how the two fit together.

The answer: they do very well. Cycling can be hard on the body, especially if you don't stretch regularly enough. That's why it's not just helpful but important for cyclists to include some yoga poses and exercises into their workout routine.

Here are a few such essential yoga poses that every cyclist should know about and do:

Yoga Poses for Cyclists

Here's a look at five such poses:

#1 Plank Pose

The plank pose is a great way to stretch and strengthen your core, as well as build the abdominal muscles. This pose can be modified by using a yoga block or towel under the hands for extra support.

It's done as follows:

Start on all fours with your hands in front of you and knees below your hips.
Raise yourself off the floor till you're fully supported by your arms and shoulders only.
Make sure not to overarch them (as that can be damaging). Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
Hold for 30 seconds or longer if possible; breathe deeply into each breath as needed to maintain balance throughout the pose.

#2 Downward Facing Dog

The downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana) is a great pose for cyclists, as it stretches the hamstrings and lower back, which can become tight from long hours of sitting on a bike. It also strengthens the arms, shoulders, and core muscles, which help you pedal more efficiently.

To do a downward facing dog:

Start in a child's pose, with your knees pressed against your chest and forehead resting on the floor.
Lift both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height as though they were parallel bars.
Press down through the palms of each hand while bringing them together till they touch — this will be like taking one step forward.
Extend both legs up behind you so that they form an inverted 'V' shape with their tops pointing toward the ceiling (that might not be possible when you first start out).
Remain here for five breaths or longer if you need more time to adjust to this pose.

#3 Glute Bridge

Doing this exercise regularly (at least once weekly) canhelp ease chronic back pain from cycling over time.

It can also improve circulation to enable more oxygenation in those muscles that aid performance and recovery from workouts done on bikes during training sessions or races.

Glute bridges are great in opening up the lower body, so add them to your stretching sessions. This exercise strengthens and tightens the buttocks muscles so that they can support better posture when you’re riding in an aggressive position.

Here's how it's done:

Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Your hips should be higher than your head —the top of the bridge should be at your shoulder blades — and your arms should be by your sides, with palms up.
Squeeze your glutes to raise the heels off of the floor, holding for three seconds before lowering them back down.
Repeat ten times for one set; do three sets.

#4 Happy Baby Pose

The happy baby pose is an excellent pose for cyclists, as it stretches out all the tight muscles in the hips, which are often adversely affected by long hours spent pedaling on a bike.

Here's how it's done:

Lie down on your back with your knees bent and wide apart.
Place your feet flat on the floor, with your heels and toes pointing in opposite directions to create a diamond shape.
Roll over onto your hips, and reach to grab the outside of that thigh with both hands; pull it up into the air so that only one heel remains touching the ground.
Hold this position for several breaths before releasing back down to complete one rep.

#5 Cat Cow Pose

The Cat Cow pose is one of the most important poses in yoga, and it's a great way to start your practice. It's also a good way to warm up before you start cycling.

The pose is named after the movement it creates: the spine moves like a cat when you first do it, then like a cow when you arch your back. That's because you're moving your spine in opposite directions at once — the front of the body stretches while the back rounds.

That helps lengthen and strengthen the spine and improves flexibility in both directions.

Takeaway

There you have it: the best yoga poses and exercises for cyclists. Remember that there are several more amazing yoga moves.

However, if you want to give yourself a little boost of energy before your next ride or just want to get back into shape after a long break from exercise, try incorporating these yoga exercises into your routine. You might even find yourself falling in love with a new form of fitness.