I’m rapidly approaching 40 and the usual aches and pains post riding are getting a bit achier and painier. Part of the problem is that I’m really inflexible- can barely touch my knees, never mind my toes

So I’m thinking I should probably start something to look after my joints before it’s too late. Not sure what tho

Yoga seems good but I’m not really into the spiritual side of things in general, and Pilates seems all-female from the classes I’ve looked into, which does put me off a bit. Ideally I’d want a weekly class but be able to do the exercises at home too

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Been to both, preferred yoga. Pilates is alot about sucking in your stomache muscles and tensing them which is based on some study about back pain which is flawed supposedly.

You can go to yoga and not become some spiritual, bare foot, facebook updating (taking pictures of yourself at sunset barefoot “grounding yourself”) weirdo. It’s pretty relaxing and enjoyable just ignore the whole “breathing in to your heart space” and all that nonsense.

Wrong side of 40, desk job, inflexible, aches and pains. I was also put off by the spiritual side of yoga but found a class aimed at cyclists and the focus is very much on the physical side. A really relaxed class that although mixed I was surprised to find there’s more blokes than women. I’m seeing improvements in my flexibility and core strength and less aches and pains. If you’re in/near Bristol I can recommend http://www.facebook.com/stretchyogauk otherwise it’s a case of trying to find a local class that isn’t too spiritual.

I have been going to Yin Yoga classes since my Physio gave me the nod after a herniated disc episode.

Working wonders for me after three months. Very relaxing unless the pose involves hamstrings in which case it can be a little harsh.

Warning. Some of the teachers are really into the spiritual side of yoga. I can’t keep a straight face if I get one of those. I just tried loads of classes till i found the ones and teachers I liked.

Doing something is better than nothing. I do Pilates with a woman who is a sports massage therapist. The focus is on building core strength, activating the glutes and maintaining strength through the full range of movement. I’ve tried a few different teachers and a lot felt like they were just making shapes rather than knowing what they were doing. That seemed to suit a lot if the participants though. I still think I’m the only person who comes out if that class with a dab on.

Point I’m trying to make, is pick whichever offers a good class in your area. Even if one is better than the other, I still think you’d be better off doing the worse one well rather than the best one poorly.

Yoga seems good but I’m not really into the spiritual side of things in general

I liked yoga. Didn’t get the chance to experience the spiritual side of things as i had to stop going due to excessive flatulence 😳

It’s all basically stretching with similar core exercises (sorry!)

Take which bits you like

Ditto the spiritual stuff – just really an excuse to quieten the mind. Again great stuff.

Ahhh the farting. Just don’t eat dinner before you go.

Yoga for Mountain Bikers (Abi Carver) on Vimeo. Excellent series and well worth the money.

I go to Iyengar yoga every fortnight and it’s been fantastic for my neck, back and joints, still have terrible cyclists hamstrings though!

There’s no spiritual stuff at my class, perhaps because my teacher is a geologist. I’m not totally adverse to it though.

Adult gymnastics (or similar). Lots of fun and you get flexy at the same time.

I’ve done loads of yoga and none of it has ever included the spiritual stuff. Abi’s videos on pinkbike are good but if you’re that stiff you may be better off going to a class so you don’t injure yourself trying to get into a pose that’s too extreme. Scaravelli yoga is very good for giving you a better awareness of what your body is doing which then makes everything easier and more likely to be beneficial.

Incidentally I’m also heading towards 40 and I swear the reason I managed to walk away from a massive crash last week is that I’ve been doing both strength and flexibility work for a while – I’m bruised to **** and my AC joint is slightly sprained but I think if this had happened a few years ago I’d have a completely mangled shoulder and more…

I have done Pilates for 14 years & it works for me. I suspect most of these sort of things are more popular with women than most sports that men do. I don’t know why that should put you off. Just stand at the back. I agree the thing is to find a good class. Anything like this done well is better than another discipline done badly. I prefer Pilates because of the lack of spiritual stuff and alos because I think the stregthening is all part of avoiding injury. However I would go to decent yoga teacher if I couldn’t find a good Pilates one.

I go to Pilates and it focuses on improving your core strength. I’ve found it really useful. (Mid-40s office worker with a history of sciatica and a knackered knee). It’s run by a musculoskeletal physio with a passion for Pilates.
If you go with the mindset of giving it a go and try your best, you can only benefit from it.
As you move up from beginner to improver etc it gets harder and can be tiring in a good way. Just find a local class and if you like it give it a go for a 4-6 week block.

Fantastic- thanks everyone 😀

So I’m angling towards Yoga but taking a fair bit of time to find an instructor I like.

Yoga with Adrienne on you tube. Free, good, has a beginners course, has sports specific work outs. She’s not heavy on the spiritual stuff. Oh and you can fart your arse out as you’re not in a room full of mummies

I’ve found Pilates to be incredibly helpful over the last 6 months. It’s good for your core muscles, but the main benefit for me was increasing my mobility, especially in my hips, which now means I can squat deeply whilst weight training.

I’ve tried yoga once, and imagine it will also be useful if done regularly, but I found Pilates to be a bit more relevant for people who are training for other sports/activities.

I’m not sure if recommend using an online course in either until you’ve learnt the basics with a qualified instructor. It’s amazing how many things you get wrong without someone there to correct you.

I do some basic yoga to straighten my back. Never been to a class was just shown a few moves and learnt some more from videos online so have never had to deal with any spiritual side. I thought that was a rarity unless you went to India or San Francisco.

Adult gymnastics

Over 40 and married 😕 I go to yoga

Yoga with Adrienne on you tube

This is worth a go. I only started it as my wife wanted to do it and I thought I’d offer some (moral) support. I have never stretch before or after exercise 😳 and it made me realise how ridiculously inflexible I am (can barely sit cross-legged, can’t touch my toes with legs straight, shoulders tight etc.).
We did the introductory video for 7 days straight then moved onto the 30 day programme (@ day 26 now) and probably only had 4 or 5 missed days. I’m definitely getting more flexible (still a long way to go though!), core strength has definitely improved too. When the 30 days is up I’m going to look at the more running/cycling specific ones. Maybe I’ll do a proper class one day (doubt it though), but finding a spare 20-30min once the kids are in bed is much more convenient/achievable.

I have a poor lower back. Tried Pilates a few years ago and didn’t get on very well. Now trying again through Physio Led Pilates which is much better. Great for flexibility and core strength. Keeps me riding longer, and kayaking, and guitaring.

Right, I’m not saying this because I actually hold this opinion, ok?

It’s just that this is stw and I can’t believe no-one has said it yet! 😀

MTFU!

I’m 66 years old, have had 4 prolapsed discs. Paddle boarding and cycling keep me fit and flexible. Stand up paddle boarding, done right, is an awesome way to get a full body workout. Of course you need a river or lake nearby. I have the sea on my doorstep. Lifestyle choice!

Rapidly approaching 50 here and I can confidently say that Yoga is one of the things that has kept me going both Snowboarding and Cycling.

You can quite easily follow some of the online resources such as Yoga.com that show you how to do each pose, but it can be handy to go along to a class to begin with; having someone else unsure you are doing a pose correctly can be very useful.

’10 minute yoga workouts’ by Barbara Currie is pretty good and I’ve also got ‘Yoga for Cyclists’ DVD (Andria Baldovin) which is quite intense.(not sure it’s available anymore – it is quite old)

I thought that was a rarity unless you went to India or San Francisco.

At my old gym every now and again when the regular teacher was out used to have a more “spiritual” one in to cover. Was always a tad odd.
Personally I would try to get to a class since its one of those things where a relatively minor mistake can result in serious strain over time so having someone correct it is useful.