Yoga stretches for cyclists

Photo courtesy of VeloPress

When cycling, your leg doesn’t reach full extension or flexion, which means your leg muscles, if you don’t stretch, can lose elasticity and become tight. And rigid muscles can put the brakes on your performance and make you susceptible to injury. 

“A good example of how tight muscles can limit your performance involves the hamstring muscle on the back of the upper leg. Of all the tightness that can result from cycling, this may be the most debilitating. Tight hamstrings restrain the leg during the downstroke. In this condition, they work to prevent the leg from straightening and in so doing reduce the force produced by the leg,” states Joe Friel in The Cyclist’s Training Bible (VeloPress; 2009). According to Friel, tight hamstrings can also contribute to lower back pain.

After your ride, using your bike as a prop, release your hamstrings with uttanasana (standing forward bend) and then stretch your quadriceps with natarajasana (dancer's pose). Don't rush through the poses. Hold them and breathe deeply.