pilates/yoga for cyclists

magicbastarder

anyone ever try this to work on their core strength? i have had one or two (thankfully minor) back twinges while on the bike, was thinking something like this might help.
unfortunately a lot of the classes i can see seem to be aimed at women only; my wife attends one locally which is strictly for women; if anyone knows any on the northside in the glasnevin/drumcondra/finglas/santry area, i'd be interested to know more...

Eponymous

It definitely helps. Pilates was incorporated in our rugby training when I played and when I injured my back during the winter a lot of the exercises my physio gave me to do at home were the same exercises and I'm very comfortable on the bike again now (it's the inertia that's the problem now...). I can't recommend anyone over that direction, I'm afraid, but if you know any physios that might be worth a shot too...

If you're having twinges while you're on the bike, would it be worth having a fitting?

cdaly_

Yep, definitely worth it.

Beasty

Been going to classes at Collins Avenue Physio for over 2 years now. Small classes (max of 5 think) and physio led. I've had pretty bad back problems over the past year but building the core has been important to it not getting too much worse

They've made it a bit more strenuous over the past few weeks with more focus on improving overall conditioning and using weights a bit more.

One if the leaders is much more into the fitness building side of things and her sessions are supposed to be a bit more intense (certainly than the ones the other instructor does with us old fogies)

Bambaata

Found pilates great for cycling. I stopped classes about two months ago and have back aches on spins over 1.5/2hrs since! Need to get back to it!

Lemming

I've done both pilates & yoga in the past and found them hugely beneficial in general.

There's a very good article on yoga stretches and which ones are suitable for what area of the body on pinkbike.com, and you'll find that there's cross-over/commonality between some yoga & pilates exercises.

uck51js9zml2yt

Elbow room in Brunswick Street does classes.

Daroxtar

I really should take more advantage of my domestic situation, my wife is a yoga teacher. I've done a few classes with her focused on cycling specific areas.
She has put together a few routines for me to stretch out tight shoulders, hamstrings, quads and IT band and some core work. She's also done some kundalini breathing exercises that were bordering on torture Very good for the core and also helped me focus on regulating breathing when pushing hard on climbs.

Shoco83

Been doing yoga for about 2 years now, find it very helpful.

I used to have aches and pains after been on the bike and quite a lot of stiffness and that has all gone now.

I sit in an office all day Andy a long with the bike it's not good for the hamstrings and hips, so she has given me a routine to do after each cycle for a few min and it really helps

groovyg

Sinead Kennedy is a cyclist with Orwell wheelers and teaches pilates and yoga. She ran pilates classes in Loreto NS Rathfarnham on Tuesday eves from September to May, its run in 8 week blocks. I only attended the pilates class which was all women but she had a yoga class on after it and it seemed to mostly guys doing it. She also does yoga in raw gym on a Mondays for cyclists but I haven't been to it as I prefer pilates to yoga.

Mercian Pro

Strongly recommend Real Bodies Pilates http://www.realbodiespilates.com/ in Marino College, Griffith Avenue. Have been going to classes there for a good few years and have avoided lower back pain that used to plague me. Ros doesn't just focus on core strength but on overall flexibility as well. Every class is different and there are about five levels to choose from.
Classes restart in September after the Summer break in August.

Kaisr Sose

Pilates very helpful for deep stretches and alround core work. Definitely worth trying. So many of the exercises a Physio will give you are Pilates based (well my physio anyway). If you are not injured, give a try.

Lemming

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Pilates very helpful for deep stretches and alround core work. Definitely worth trying. So many of the exercises a Physio will give you are Pilates based (well my physio anyway). If you are not injured, give a try.

My experience with a physio would tally with yours KS; I got given a bunch of exercises to do that you'd routinely find (or perhaps with variation) in a pilates class.