You may tend to focus on speed, endurance, and power when it comes to improved performance. But that leaves strength, mobility, and your mind game on the table—all of which can also transform your performance. To hit all three of those elements, turn to yoga for cyclists.
Many types of yoga involve a sequence of postures, with your breath linking those postures together to make it one powerful mind-body practice. Through deep, fluid breathing and meditation, yoga brings in a mindful element that can help you better tackle long or difficult rides. And that’s just the beginning of the benefits.
Here’s what to know about yoga for cyclists, how adding it to your schedule can benefit your rides, and the best sequence to get you started.
The Benefits of Yoga for Cyclists
Strength
Thanks to yoga elements like balance and core and shoulder stability, yoga can help you build some of the strength you need for the road. (That doesn’t mean you should skip traditional strength training, though.) For many of the moves you’ll do, you’ll focus on isometric exercises, which can kick up your core strength and, as research shows, even help reduce blood pressure.
Mobility
Yoga incorporates a flexibility component into the practice, which is super beneficial to cyclists as it helps improve range of motion. For example, moves like pigeon pose or crescent lunge can help open up the hips, allowing for better mobility on the bike and improved pedaling mechanics.
According to research, yoga can also help improve spinal flexion, which reduces lower back pain.
Recovery
While stretching can assist in physical recovery from riding, an even more powerful payoff of yoga may be how it helps with mental stress relief. Because it encourages you to stay present and breath deeply, it brings a sense of calm.
Research even indicates that yoga can help with work-related stress, which can help diminish mental fatigue (and that can ultimately support your performance, too).
How to Add Yoga to Your Schedule
As with anything you want to master, you can only achieve the desired results of yoga through regular practice. For most cyclists, an hour-long yoga class may not be a realistic daily commitment
But there is one simple sequence that takes very little time and that you can easily repeat on the regular. Commonly referred to as a sun salutation, this sequence is fundamental to all branches (or styles) of yoga as it represents the basic, full-body opening.
Follow the sun salutation below, demonstrated by Yanik Faylayev, certified yoga instructor to learn proper form. You will need a yoga mat.
If you’re new to yoga, it is best to first focus on proper alignment, then refine the form and breath in this sequence before adding other postures. Repeating the sequence just five times a day will influence your awareness of breath control, spinal alignment, and muscle awareness—which all transfers to your pedal stroke. Build up to 10 times a day.
This sequence can be done before or after rides (or both!) to maximize the benefits.
Sun Salutation
Surya Namaskar
Start standing at the top of the mat with feet hip-width apart, eyes closed, hands in prayer at heart. Take a deep breath by drawing air in evenly through nose and mouth, allowing diaphragm to expand as lungs fill. Think of each inhale as filling your belly, and exhale.
With feet firmly pressing into the mat, lift from the top of the head as you inhale. Pause, holding breath slightly, then begin to contract the abdominals to initiate the exhale. Match the length of the exhale to the inhale. Take a few breaths to set the rhythm, like a metronome.
Once your breath is “set,” on the next inhale, send hands high above head. Open eyes, letting gaze follow fingertips, stretching tall with feet grounded.
As you exhale, gently draw the shoulder blades back and down, dropping the shoulders slightly away from the ears. Keep the breath even and hold for two more breaths, repeating that active lift and release with each inhale and exhale.
On the next exhale, draw hands down past heart center, and bend at the hips to reach for the floor. As you come into forward fold, be aware of the length through your spine. Rather than folding and curving the spine, bend the knees to allow the chest to come closer to the knees and hands to the floor. Hold for five breaths releasing the head and shoulders with each exhale and slightly lifting the hips with each inhale.
On the next inhale, lift through the top of the head to look forward with a flat back and fingertips toward the floor. Hold for two breaths. On the exhale, return to forward fold. Let your head hang between arms. Hold for two breaths.
Exhale as you bend knees to firmly press hands into the mat shoulder-width apart with fingers wide. As you inhale, walk feet back into high plank. Look forward with shoulders aligned over wrists to create a straight line from head to heels. Hold for five breaths. Your core should be doing the work as you breathe.
Keeping the elbows close to the body, exhale as you bend elbows to lower body to the mat. Untuck the toes to let the tops of feet press into the floor. As you inhale, lift through the top of the head, look ahead, and draw shoulder blades back to come into cobra or upward-facing dog with arms straight. Hold actively for five breaths.
Release shoulders and head, then tuck toes as you exhale, lifting the hips up and back into downward-facing dog. Keeping heels hovering above the mat and length in the spine, let the head drop between arms, feeling length from hips through the neck. Looking between ankles to feel the stretch through the back of the neck. Leave knees slightly bent to allow the back to be long. Hold for five breathes. If needed, you can slowly pedal out the legs to stretch the lower back, hips, and hamstrings by alternating pressing heels to the floor.
Inhale, walking feet forward to line up just behind hands to return to forward fold. As you hold for five breaths, slowly release the head and shoulders on each exhale. Lift hips, stretching through back of legs on each inhale to slowly and gently deepen the forward fold.
Inhale, bringing hands to heart then sending fingertips above the head, standing tall, and looking up. Hold for two breaths. Exhale as you draw hands back to heart center, looking forward to complete the sun salutation.
Repeat and keep the breath even and fluid. By engaging the breath to activate muscles through each movement, you deepen the stretches in each repetition.
More Yoga Poses for Cyclists
Practicing yoga after a ride can also benefit recovery, as the heart rate comes down and the body relaxes and allows for better blood flow. These poses were specifically selected by Faylayev to cater to the muscles we use when cycling.
1. Cat-Cow
Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
- Start on hands and knees with wrists directly under shoulders, and knees hip-width apart and directly under hips.
- Move into cow pose by inhaling and arching back, dropping belly toward the mat. Lift chin to gaze up toward the ceiling. Spread shoulder blades wide and draw shoulders away from ears.
- Exhale, to move into cat pose by rounding back and drawing belly to spine. Release the top of head toward the floor.
- Repeat with the breath.
2. Bridge Pose
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Lie faceup with knees bent and feet on the floor. Extend arms along sides.
- Press feet and arms firmly into the floor. Exhale as you lift hips up toward the ceiling. Roll shoulders back and down. Press weight evenly into all four corners of both feet. Hold for one breath.
- Exhale as you slowly roll spine back down to the mat, vertebra by vertebra.
3. Downward-Facing Dog to Low Lunge Twist
Adho Mukha Svanasana to Parivrtta Sanchalasana
- Start in a high plank position with wrists under shoulders and core engaged.
- On the exhale, lift hips up and back to come into downward-facing dog. Bend knees slightly to draw chest toward thighs. Breathe.
- On the exhale, place right foot between hands to come into a low lunge with knee and ankle bent to 90 degrees.
- On the next exhale, twist open to the right, reaching left arm up overhead.
- With the breath, reverse the movement to return to downward-facing dog.
- Repeat on other side.
4. Crescent Moon to Half Front Split
Anjaneyasana to Ardha Hanumanasana
- From downward-facing dog, come into a low lunge with right knee forward, and left leg extended behind you.
- On the inhale, send hips forward as you raise hands up overhead.
- On the exhale, draw hands back down to frame right foot, then send hips back as you straighten right leg.
- With the breath, repeat on other side.
5. Forearm Plank to Sphynx
Phalakasana to Salamba Bhujangasana
- Start in a forearm plank, with forearms parallel to each other and flat on the mat, elbows directly under shoulders, and core engaged so body forms a straight line from heels to shoulders.
- Inhale as you drop hips to mat, untuck toes, and backward bend by arching spine and letting top of head point back.
- Hold for as many breaths as you like.
6. Low Lunge Twist to Quad Stretch
Parivrtta Sanchalasana to Utthan Pristhasana
- Start in a low lunge with right leg forward and knee bent to 90 degrees, left leg extended behind you, and hands framing right foot.
- Inhale, place left hand firmly on mat, and on the exhale, twist open to the right as you reach right hand behind you.
- If possible, bend left leg to grab left foot with right hand for a quad stretch.
- Rotate upper body and head toward the ceiling if available to you.
- Return to low lunge and with the breath, repeat on other side.
7. Lunge to Pyramid Stretch
Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana to Parsvottanasana
- Start in a lunge with right leg forward, knee and ankle bent to 90 degrees and hand framing right foot.
- Inhale, then on the exhale, straighten right leg and send hips up and back to come to pyramid pose.
- Shorten stance by moving left leg forward if necessary.
- Hold for a few breaths, then repeat on the other leg.
8. Plank to Deep Squat
Kumbhakasana to Malasana
- Start in a plank pose with hands directly under shoulders and core engaged so body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Inhale, then on the exhale, step right foot to outside of right hand, then left foot to outside of left hand and drop hips to come into deep squat position. Lift chest and try to keep heels planted on the floor as you draw hands to prayer at chest.
- Hold for a few breaths.
9. Seated Pigeon Pose
Seated Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
- Start sitting with hands placed on mat just behind hips and legs out in front of you. Cross left ankle over right leg above the knee.
- Inhale, and on the exhale, bend right leg and place right foot on floor so right knee sends left shin toward chest. Keep chest lifted and back long.
- Hold for a few breaths, then repeat on other side.
10. Butterfly Pose
Baddha Konasana
- Start sitting with chest lifted and back long.
- On the exhale, bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet together to touch. Allow gravity to gently pull the knees down, don’t force them.
- Hold for a few breaths.
- This may be as far as you can go, but if you have more flexibility, fold forward to bring chest toward floor or forehead to feet.
- Hold for a few breaths, relaxing into the pose.
Images: Julia Hembree Smith
