Cycling and Pilates…

My first serious sport was long distance cycling. I was fortunate to meet a coach in New York City who understood the importance of posture both on and off the bike, and stretching following long hard rides. With his guidance I was able to avoid the lower back soreness which troubles many riders. A cyclist spends hours at a time in a position called spinal flexion (the lower back is rounded as the body leans forward.) At the same time the neck is extended, holding the head up so the rider can see.  As a rider tires, I often see abdominal support for the lower back fade, more weight coming onto the arms as the chest sags forward, and the neck unnaturally extended to hold up the head. In the extreme, this breakdown can lead to chronic back pain. The good news is that a cyclist who is a Pilates athlete will have the body awareness and core strength to counteract this trend even as they tire. And they will have the tools and techniques to get their body back into a healthy neutral alignment after even the toughest events.

Another aspect of the core stability developed through Pilates is the ability to flex and extend the legs from the hips without destabilizing the lower back. This disassociation of movement of the leg from movement in the pelvis and lower back is powerful stuff on a bike. It is this kind of core control and strength which enables an elite rider to blast uphill without the bike wobbling all over the place. Keeping the bike quiet means more of the energy generated by the rider goes into propulsion while controlling strain on the lower back as well.