A fellow yoga teacher commented recently that runners and cyclists consider their stretching routine complete when
they reach for the soap in the shower. Heavens! That can't be true, can it? Here is a partial list of the benefits we can
attain from a stretching practice:
1. Happier hips: There are four major muscle groups in your legs. Particularly in sports like running & cycling, the
front muscles of the thighs become very powerful, and increase in size. The other muscle groups don't receive the
same attention and may shorten in comparison. This imbalance causes the thigh bone to operate less than perfectly
in its hip socket. Even a slight misalignment can result in damaged hips as we age.
2. A stabilized SI joint: These tight hamstrings can also pull out the alignment of the pelvis, which is a major cause of
back discomfort. Exercises that target the deep postural muscles in the lower back create a good girdle of muscle to
support this often troublesome joint.
3. Finding your piriformis: This is a deep, major muscle that crosses your butt cheek. This muscle along with other
hip rotators and flexors (like the iliopsoas) are contracted repeatedly during cycling and running. The overuse
combined with the tightness is a recipe for injury and soreness.
4. A looser back: With every pedal or every step, your spine is subjected to the power of gravity and the vertebrae
are subject to compression. Over time, they can become compacted, and mobility in the spine restricted. Lengthening
of the spine allows the discs to "fluff" and provide more cushion between the vertebrae. Emphasis on posture and
alignment in stretching will also strengthen the postural muscles and provide more support for an erect spine during
your sport.
5. Goodbye neck and shoulder tightness: Hours on a bike, leaning forward with a collapsed chest, can result in
shortening and weakening of the pectoral muscles and chronic tightness in the trapezius. Yes, stretching can
relieve these muscle tensions as well as training the body to hold a more neutral posture during the ride.
6. Arthritis prevention/relief: Chronic overuse of joints (perhaps the knees?) can lead to wearing away of the
protective joint tissues and result in bone on bone friction, or arthritis. Regular stretching and strengthening of the
supporting muscles can open the joint, release that pressure of bone on bone and encourage joint longevity.
7. Find your happy place: Freewheelers know how much daily stress can be left behind as the open horizon ahead
beckons you to pedal just a little harder. A structured time to tune out the stimuli of our busy world during stretching
provides a wonderful opportunity for the body to repair and rejuvenate, meaning you'll head out next time stronger!
8. Improved breath capacity: While stretching, deep, regular diaphragmatic breathing in and out through the nose
should be used. As with any other muscle group, stretching and strengthening the diaphragm through breathing
exercises can result in more energy/breath available for interval training and climbing hills.
9. Focus: Major sports teams have been using visualization and such techniques to bring elite athletes to peak
levels of performance for years. Harness this power in your sport by disciplining your mind & body to work more
effectively together, first during stretching time, then on the bike.
