Jun 13 2010
How Pilates has helped me with my Cycling
How Pilates Has Helped Me With My Cycling
Pilates has a misnomer of being the exercise favored mostly by women and dancers (and rightfully so as it is), however I have found that Pilates is a huge help in other endeavors as well as for men. Today I was on one of the more challenging rides in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Alpine Dam Loop: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/cf0f/9a72/4bf8/61d1/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100612-0759.kml A challenging ride in it’s own rite.
During the entire ride I keep thinking about the principles of Pilates and the applicable exercises that keep me on the road and working efficiently.
1. Most importantly is Breathing (BASI Tenant Principle). In Pilates we focus on the breath into the ribcage and not the diaphragm. “Rib Cage Breathing”. Within the breathing Principle is a FULL Inhale and a Full Exhale. Riding up hill I tend to start panting and getting short of breath. The full breath that is taught in Pilates quiets the mind, relaxes the body and oxygenates the blood making the climb much more bearable.
I also experimented with Percussive Breathing and found in a certain form – slower than the Ron Fletcher method teaches and not so sharp – that it also was a help.
The exercise that I think about when working on my breathing is the Hundred’s – a classic Pilates Exercises and hands down one of the most useful exercises taught in the repertoire.
2. Efficiency and Precision in the movement. You may think that there is not that much involved in pedaling a bicycle, but this is untrue. You have to maintain your posture, constantly reposition your hands and yes there is a right and wrong way to pedal.
Keeping the deep abdominals engaged is key for more efficient use of the muscles around the hip – overuse the hip flexors and you get the equivalent of a shin splint in the iliopsoas muscle. It hurts. Also a key muscle is the Hamstring, or the Hip Extensors. Many people try to lean into the bike and push into the pedals to drive their bike forward. It is more efficient to pull on the pedals with the back of the leg and do what I call “Running Up The Hill”. By working in the hip extensors / Knee Flexors, and taking pressure off the Hip Flexors / Knee Extensors – The Quads – you are able to distribute the work more evenly.
Exercises that help with this include (but are not limited too):
Mat Work: Knee Changes,
Roll-Up
Rolling Like A Ball
Shoulder Bridge
Reformer Foot Work
The Hundred’s
Stomach Massage
Knee Stretch Series
Cadillac Foot Work
Shoulder Stretch
Wunda Chair Foot Work
Pike or Teaser
Standing Leg Press –
Forward Lunge
Backward step down or Mountain Climber.
This should not discount the importance of a thorough Pilates Workout that focuses on body movement in all planes of motion, flexion, extension and lateral flexion. The total body workout is important for balance in the postural muscles.
3. Finally I want to talk about Concentration of Focus. This is also a key especially for longer bike rides where you may get tired. In the Pilates Studio I insist on a quiet and minimal environment so that the client can focus on their exercises without distraction. I don’t play music or have artwork in the studio. I only wish I could block out the distractions of the out doors. Concentrating on the exercises in The Studio is practice for concentration while on the road.
So remember your Pilates routines while cycling and most importantly be safe. I tend to worry about other traffic while on the road, but while riding up the back of Mt. Tamalpais through the Red Woods one fell across the road. Thankfully no one was hurt however an awareness of your environment will insure that you do not get hurt.
I also found this great tool to monitor my bike rides, the Cyclemeter application for the iPhone. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyclemeter-gps-cycling-computer/id330595774?mt=8 The Cyclemeter uses GPS tracking to measure your ride and give you your splits. This is a great tool to check and measure your progress. Abvio: http://www.abvio.com/ also has applications for Running and Walking. I did find some issues with battery life and accurate tracking, but an email to the developer and these issues were resolved.
Safe riding and – Tailwinds.
