As the title.

Debating giving some of this new age rubbish a go, i’m not a go to the gym and smash weights until my glamour muscles get big (they’re doing just fine with out that ), looking for genuine usable strength and balance, maybe a bit of mental training, is yoga truly helpful?

Seen this Ryan Leech site with teachings, any good?

Tried a couple of youtube vids for beginners, seems ok, will most probably carry on for a month and see how it feels anyway.

Yoga is awesome. I used to be dead against it from a new age, calming the mind point of view but could see the value from stretching – now I do it for both reasons – mainly as I have a stressful job and I find it really allows me to unwind plus I’m getting on and injuries if I don’t stretch seem more common place.

In fact I’m sat in a yoga pose right now as I type this stretching from a ride earlier.

Went to a class a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed it and definitely felt like it had done some good. Suspect with a good teacher it won’t do you any harm and will probably be good for the core muscles.

To get the best out of it, you really need to join a class and do it regularly for a couple of months.
I do it from time to time. I prefer Bikram (hot yoga), it’s also good for a cardio workout. I started after hurting my back. Once I got it sorted by chiropractor, yoga has kept it flexible.

Done it for stretching in and off for several years. Some of the techniques help you if you find it difficult to switch off your brain at times.

OH as a bad back so he started doing a while back. It’s made a massive difference to him. There is a guy on a American site called better ride or something similar who talks about it a lot and the benefits to I’m. Worth a read IMHO.

I’ve wanted to try either yoga or Pilates for my knackered back for some time now. Which would be better?

Done it for the last 8 months – its improved my flexibility, balance, and core strength and is great for stretching your muscles.

If you are going to do it you really need to go to a class so that a teacher can help you get the poses and movements right. You are unlikely to be able to get this from You Tube videos initially.

5 weeks into a sat am class ‘Yoga for cyclists’ – teacher is a keen roadie and skier and she seems very good. Only 3 or 4 of us most weeks and quite intense. Will definitely keep it going as have have yrs of bad backs and do loads of core stability stuff.

If you have an iOS device, try the Yoga Studio app. Plays on your iPad or streams to the TV mirroring on Apple TV. It was recommended to me by a sports physio who looks after professional atheletes. It’s extremely good indeed. I’ve ached in places I didn’t know. It’s helped me with strength, flexibility and balance. I do 30 minute sessions most days. It’s as easy as coming home, switching on TV and following a video of an instructor. Feels like 1:1 tuition. My life’s so busy at present that I know I wouldn’t keep up with classes but I’ve kept going with this. Doesn’t seem to be very new age and the back class seems to replicate the back exercises recommended by most conventional physios/musculoskeletal references. I’m not sure if the app is available on android or elsewhere. Highly recommended. It’s true what others say too – you do feel more relaxed or “wound down” afterwards, I guess no different from going for a walk. I’ve been getting probs with a tight iliotibial band in my R leg (knee pain) and hoping it will help with that, although it’ll be difficult to tell because I’m doing specific stretches for that.
If you’re like me, you’ll be surprised how hunched up and inflexible you are and you’ll be surprised how much it helps balance.

I recently went to my first class, this was at University so a fair few beginners were there. Was pretty tough, but certainly enjoyable – I’ll be going back.

The instructor had to re-arrange me a few times though 😳

5/6 yrs to help with a bad back – three simple moves to help stretch. Can’t recomend highly enough, just can’t remember the names! Angry cat, crouching dog?!?

Cat alternating with cow and downward dog, probably?

I can’t get on with the “Turn the inside of your shin inwards, and the outside of your shin outwards” bullshit.

Makes me want to stand up and strangle the “guru”.

Give me a decent run, weight lifting session, cycle or sauna/steam room stretch anyday.

It’s a bit more time consuming obviously, but if it’s core strength and balance you’re after then try horse riding. The few months when I was riding my bike and my horse three times a week each was the strongest ive ever felt in terms of core.

It’s also great fun and helps with stuff like keeping your eyes forward and steering with your body etc.

Or you could just squat heavy weights; that will give you the strongest core.

Give me a decent run, weight lifting session, cycle or sauna/steam room stretch anyday.

The two aren’t mutually exclusive! In fact, weights and yoga compliment each other very well.

Have to do Yoga daily just to keep myself riding

I find yoga fits really neatly with my abused and battered body, and pseudo-buddhist ideologies.. It’s great for stress relief too

My girlfriend is into it too as she used yoga (and yogic lifestyle practices) to help when she was was battling cancer..

We’d both like to be a lot stricter about diet and regular yogic practise because we’ve both felt tangible benefits but neither of us have enough self discipline..

Pro tip – don’t do what I did and practice twice a week for 6 months at home, develop an invulnerability complex, become convinced flexibility is all in the mind, push yourself too far, sprain your hip, and have 4 months of the bike. That was retarded.

I’ve been going to class regularly for close to a year and a half now and it’s made a huge difference to my flexibility and core strength. It had a larger impact on my road riding than MTB I think, though I haven’t ridden competitively for a long time. Sorted out a load of issues I had with my back/shoulder from sitting hunched over a desk too.

I do think going to class is essential. Not only does it really help have someone explain things as you go along but a teacher can help if there are postures you struggle with or have specific issues you are trying to resolve.

Took a while for me to stop thinking of it as a competition! As someone said you don’t compete at yoga, you practice.

@Iainc …IIRC you are based Glasgow area? Where is your yoga class? Is it the one in the west end 12ish on a Saturday? Been looking for something like this myself.

Many thanks.

I do Bikram yoga every once in a while, usually about once a month, sometimes twice a week, sometimes go a year without doing it, (as its bloody expensive). I find it helps to keep back and joint pain away if Ive been training hard or racing. But Stretching regularly and doing a TRX workout usually helps with this! And its much cheaper.

Did yoga regularly a few years ago until the teacher retired.
Recently took it up again about 6 months ago. New teacher new class different approach.
Class is strong flow. Lots of stretching balance and core strength work. I enjoy doing it, feel better for it. Back feels good and getting some stretch / length back in my ham strings.
I think the right class / teacher makes a difference keeping an open mind to a different method of exercise helps too.

julzm – Member

@Iainc …IIRC you are based Glasgow area? Where is your yoga class? Is it the one in the west end 12ish on a Saturday? Been looking for something like this myself.

Many thanks.

Hi, no its in Hamilton, was posted up on EKRC Facebook and I then popped it onto the GMBC one. It’s 1130 Saturdays at Prana Yoga

If you have an iOS device, try the Yoga Studio app.

Tried this earlier, brilliant – thanks!

I wanted to, but then TomW pointed out that the Vatican exorcist said yoga was evil and led to Satan.

But you will notice that Satan does not complain about a bad back

Good point. I guess yoga is back on the menu.

There’s a reason why yoga is still practiced several thousand years since it was created (guessing at the years but you get the point!)
I def recommend getting classes so you get taught good habits. Easier to turn up to a class than try and discipline yourself by doing it on your own.
Great for core strength, which is great for climbing, power and strength. Great to undo all the damage you’re doing by tightening your hamstrings by being a regular rider.
Personally I highly recommend yoga to everyone for everything, but I do think it;s particularly useful for regular riders

Iainc thank you. Might see you there.

Have you thought about pilates? Like yoga but none of the spiritual twaddle.

Also buy this book ignore what the chemically enhanced guff-head in the backwards cap has to say and read the bits by Allison Westfahl which, mercifully, is most of the book.

Also check out this handy youtube compilation of her demonstrating tyhe core exercises.

The routines are something you can do every day in 10 – 20 minutes and have a direct application to cycling. After a couple of weeks of this you’ll ride pain free and stronger.

Like yoga but none of the spiritual twaddle.

There’s lots of different types of yoga, some of them don’t involve any spiritual twaddle, like Bikram. I never quite got what Pilates was though.

Sorry my personal distaste for the mystical crept in there 😆

There’s lots of different types of yoga, some of them don’t involve any spiritual twaddle, like Bikram. I never quite got what Pilates was though.

Treat it as an exercise class, a path to self improvement presumably like non-spiritual yoga or spin classes [shudders].

My physio says I have “quite possibly the stiffest and tightest legs” she’s ever seen.

I was getting all kinds of leg problems from muscles and tendons being too tight and not able to work correctly. Other muscles were working over time to compensate and in turn kackering them selves out.

She’s put me on a course of stretches that are based on Yoga to help loosen me up a bit. I spend about 20 mins in the morning most days doing a few stretches. It’s really helped me, my legs feel more flexible and powerful and hurt a lot less during and after exercise. There was no spiritual twaddle involved.

I’ve been trying pilates (recommended by someone I climb with who said it fixed her recurrent back issues). Many of the exercises are familiar from physio sessions. A class seems essential to make sure you’re not “cheating” by using the wrong muscles. It’s not a magic wand but does seem to help, and would probably help more if I practised more between classes.