Yoga Poses for Cyclists & PrAna Give-Away
12. Oct, 2010 
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Cycling and yoga are the perfect combination. Yoga can be a great way to prevent injury and strain as well as improve balance and flexibility. It can also help strengthen muscles that get “left out” of a cycling regimen–thus, one of the best cross-training workouts for cyclists. Cyclists often have over-developed quadriceps and hamstrings which can pull the hips out of alignment. Road cyclists in particular are often hunched over the bars and that can result in back and shoulder pain. Yoga helps balance out these inequalities and improves your core strength. Yoga also teaches mind-body discipline that enables one to focus and concentrate which translates into a more successful cyclist.
Clothes featured here are from PrAna’s Fall 2010 collection. See details below AND we have a great PrAna give-away!
Thanks, PrAna!
You can balance out your cross-training routine with a few simple yoga poses. Yoga for cyclists videos are also available if you want a longer guided practice. Here are a few good poses to start with:
Downward Facing Dog ( Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward Facing Dog ( Adho Mukha Svanasana) This pose is especially good for cyclists because it helps with upper chest, shoulders, and back (areas that if left undeveloped can create strain and cause injury) as well as hamstrings. Press down to plank.
Plank (Adho Mukha Dandasana)
Plank (Adho Mukha Dandasana) This is a push-up position. It is a great one to strengthen the core. Proper alignment is key. Keep the body firm and straight. Hold this position as long as you can. Increase time as you improve. Lower through to cobra.
Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Modified Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Cobra (Bhujangasana) A great back bend stretch. Opens up the chest and relieves stress from arching over bike handlebars. Keep shoulders back. Modify by putting upper thighs on or off the ground. Then stretch back to downward facing dog.
Hand stretch
How often do your hands get a good stretch? Sit in a comfortable seated position and bend forward over wrists. Clasp hands also and stretch forward in the opposite direction.
Revolving Side Angle (Parivritta Parvakonasana)
Revolving Side Angle (Parivritta Parvakonasana) A standing twist variation. This pose challenges balance and strengthens the ankles. Hold position and change sides.
Locust (Salambhasana)
Locust (Salambhasana) Hold this pose 5-8 breaths relax then repeat. This is a very therapeutic back strengthening pose. Look forward or down to modify.
Bow ( Dhanurasana)
Bow ( Dhanurasana) Lay on stomach and grab ankles or feet. Pull up through head and chest so the spine and shoulders are stretched. Look forward or up to modify. Keep shoulders back. Breathing may be restricted. Hold position 5-10 breaths, lower and repeat.
Bridge ( Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Bridge ( Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) This pose strengthens the spine, opens the chest and improves spinal flexibility which will help with upper body positioning while on the bike. Clasp hands underneath. Hold 8-10 breaths, relax and repeat.
Modified Boat (Navasana)
Boat (Navasana)
Boat (Navasana) An abdominal strengthening pose. Keep back straight. Bend legs to modify. Hold pose 15-30 seconds or longer, lower and repeat. (This is a good one to do while you watch t.v.)
Balance 1/2 moon by the reflecting pool
Balancing Half Moon ( Ardha Chandrasana) This pose strengthens the hip abductors, stretches the hamstrings and helps with balance. Gaze can be at hands or up to the sky to modify. Hold and change legs.
Tree (Vrksasana)
Tree (Vrksasana) Place leg on lower calf or upper thigh to modify. Don’t put on the standing knee. Helps with balance and strengthening hips. Look forward or up to modify. Hold and change legs.
We loved the way PrAna clothing looks and feels-- On Left: Alia top (Dark Teal Moss) w/ Lolita Pant, On Right: Quinn Top (Expresso Wallpaper) w/ Lotlita Capri & Iza Jacket
If you are getting into yoga, you don’t want to be wearing your old oversize t-shirts and baggy gym shorts. You’ll want to find clothing that is unrestrictive, allowing you to move with ease. Avoid clothing that is baggy and may get in your way as your move through various positions such as a shirt sliding down while you’re in the down-dog position You also want moisture management, easy-clean, and something that will keep its shape. Check out PrAna’s yoga clothing line which fits all those requirements—and looks fabulous too!
Give-Away from Cycle & Style and PrAna: a fabulous Wool Felt Bag and E.C.O. yoga mat from PrAna!
You can win this and enjoy during your next (or first) yoga session. In the comment section below tell us why you’d like to get into yoga, or if you are experienced in yoga, share some advice and tips for the best yoga moves. We’ll randomly choose from the best comments or tips. Please give us a legit e-mail address so we can get a hold of you should you win!
The Contest /Give-away will go from now until November 3, 2010
yeah, love yoga…I have practiced off and on for a couple of years, but I have just started to submerge myself into the practice. I am becoming stronger in body and mind and am getting certified to teach it.
Peace and Balance!
jen
Love the poses and the people! Both so full of strength!
I am beginning to go to the yoga fusion class at Golds named ‘Body Flow’ Yoga looks deceptively easy… however its really difficult, takes concentration and encourages free flowing sweat! As a plus size cyclist that has just finished my first 2 sprint triathlons… I am hoping Yoga will help me become more flexible and stronger. My 3rd triathlon will be Gateway to the Bay Olympic!
I just started taking Vinyasa Flow yoga to help me work on breathing to calm my body. I have been trying to get pregnant for almost 2 years, and I found out in the last month since I started, I can definitely tell how relaxed I have become. My spirit is raised and I’m just happier when I walk of the room. I’m learning to let go of unwanted thoughts and feeling and just try to look at the positive aspects of my life now. I’m also a triathlete and this helps me stretch those tight hamstrings (downward dog) and work on my core for all three of the events. I wish I would have started earlier, but again I’m glad I’m doing it now. Yoga has just brought peace to my mind, body and soul!
I am an avid cyclist who is now recovering from a Total Ruptured Achilles and just did my first Yoga/Body Flow Class and I felt so much better after the class but of course can’t do the Downward Dog Pose completely. I also have used Yoga as my physical therapy after having two hip reconstructions and have to say that it really helped me come back to riding faster, better and more flexible and completing 2 100 mile Century’s for TNT and 3 75 mile rides for Livestrong!! If you haven’t tried Yoga what are you waiting for and of course most of my clothing is “Prana”.
I ♥ riding my bike, had a baby 8 months ago and hope to ✈ again.
I am a 51-year-old competitive cyclist who has been balancing (no pun intended) my cycling with yoga for several years now. So many of the chest-opening poses (updog, bridge, etc.) are such a wonderful juxtaposition to being bent over my handlebars. Triangle pose is a wonderful release for my hip flexors. The list goes on and on!
When I first started taking classes, I was surprised by how nauseous I felt. I finally asked the teacher why, and she told me it was because I wasn’t breathing deep enough. Once I started breathing as she instructed, I felt much better. If you’re new to yoga, don’t ignore the breath! It may seem secondary, but it really helps to improve your practice.
First, I love your Blog!! I love that everything on here applies to women cyclists who likes all things fashion!! A woman cyclist can be tough and look cute at the same time. Yoga is a great way to release all of that tension in your legs. After miles of cycling it’s a good way to give those legs a change of movement. Deep stretch is my favorite class, where you spend literally a minute or so in each stetch pose–it’s more relaxing and less aerobic and strength than the vinyasa (flow) classes. My legs and body always feel like the stress has dissapated from my body. Yoga + cycling are great activities when combined together, keep your body in balance. Namaste.
I’m not a regular at yoga, but I do always feels so good after a yoga session. I’d like to get into it more, but was always unsure if I was doing the poses correctly. These photos are a great help! Now that I’m cycling again, I will definately give these a go to help me improve my riding technique.
Symmetry and juxtaposition. Two words that have a lot of power and meaning when it comes to athleticism and life. Symmetry is beauty in nature. Balanced. Centered. Yoga is a practice that invites both mind and body to find beauty in opposition. Juxtaposition means two things that seem diametrically opposed but exist in parallel for the purpose of creativity. Cycling and yoga are beautiful symmetry and juxtaposition. Both are helping take my rough edges off and strengthen me from the inside out.
I’m an enthusiastic cyclist and yoga advocate. I’m not mega fit but love the cycle to work to wake me up in the morning (I’m a grumpy morning person!) and it means that exercise is part of my daily routine as I couldn’t manage to get myself to a gym every day! I love yoga to complete both the workout for my mind as well as my body.
I would like to start taking yoga so I can become more flexible and in turn help my running.
As a bike racer, I tend to be wickedly inflexible and stiff much of the time. Nothing like being hunched over your bike for 20 hours a week… Yoga helps me a lot in terms of relaxation, strengthening, and stretching, which are great ingredients to being better on the bike and in general.
Boat pose is my favorite core strengthener. I found that Leeann Carey has a great free yoga video that also shows how to do navasana with a partner. I thought your readers could benefit from taking a look at this: https://www.planetyoga.com/free-yoga-video-partner-boat-pose/
I’ve practiced yoga for several years, although I’m not regular in my practice right now and I really miss it–time to get back into it.
I started bike commuting about 6 years ago and then doing longer rides and more training time.
I really appreciate what yoga does to offset the stiffening effects of long hours in the bike saddle. A less-discussed element is the overall cultivation of mindfulness in yoga practice, which translates well to biking.
For bike commuting, mindful riding is literally a life-saver. If you pay attention to traffic flow, driver behavior, road conditions and your own adherence to the rules of the road the same way you focus on your breathing, alignment and position in an asana you’ll be a much better bike commuter.
I practice at an Ashtange-based studio and the Primary Series puts you through some great stretches that hit places you forget about if you just ride. I especially appreciate the balance between lower-body strength and upper-body strength required in yoga, since cycling emphasizes legs so much.
Another important benefit of yoga for women: We need weight-bearing exercise to fend off osteoporosis.
One thing to watch out for if you bike to yoga class, though: Many yoga pants flare at the ankles in a way that will catch on your pedal’s crankshaft. Rein in the legs with a rubber band slipped around the ankle or with a binder clip or clothespin pinching the excess fabric to one side out of the way.
@BarbChamberlain
I am seriously thinking about getting into yoga. Just took up cycling 1 1/2 years ago and have found it fantastic. I am 47 and have raised four children and two still at home. Even for my slightly plump body in which I am working on that issue. My shoulder hurts (which I did injure last year) after long rides and I believe that yoga will help in so many ways in my flexiblity and strength and over all health and well being. Time to take time for myself and ensure I have the strength and youthfullness to play and enjoy my grandchildren. I’d like to be that 60 year old grandma taking the grandkids on a bike ride or hike, not at home knitting booties.
I would love to get this as I have MS and have heard that yoga can help as well as riding a bike so the two would go hand in hand for me!
I am recovering from a cycling accident. So I need to start some stretching and core training. This would do me a world of good!! So I really need these items.
i am so in like with the idea of starting practicing it’s just incredibly intimidating as “everyone’ seems to be going to the studios around here everyday, and they are all doing headstands and on and on, regardless i would love a good mat to get my as* out of the house and to my friends studio to practice!!
If you’ve never done yoga before, DO IT! I’ve been going to a vinyasa flow class for about a year now and it’s AWESOME. I also practice on my own at home a couple of times a week. The increases in strength (especially shoulder and core strength), flexibility, and balance are amazing. Also, learning how to focus more on my breathing has really helped with mental toughness and being able to push through discomfort while cycling.
I would like to get into yoga to inhance my health and life. Yoga starts at the core and invelops techniques in breathing and relaxation. As many know life is full of stressors, and stress is a active cause of increased risk for heart attacks and other aliments to the body. I have just started cycling and realize that part of cycling is being able to properly stretch before and after rides. Yoga offers great strecthing and stregthening techniques.
Namaste!