Last week we looked at the benefits of Pilates for riders, so this week let’s look at Yoga for riders. I use both in my classes as I think they are equally beneficial, however they do differ slightly. 

 

Yoga tends to focus on the lengthening of muscles and often there is a relaxation element. However I teach specifically Sports Yoga which adds in the stability element found in Pilates. Yoga is also a really good way of teaching Proprioception and body awareness due to some of the postures requiring movement and balance, as well as being able to join movements together to create a flow that will challenge coordination and concentration alongside stability and strength.

 

Sports Yoga specifically looks at the demands of a sport, the areas that may become shortened/tight and then the areas that need strengthening to improve performance. 

 

For riders this would be a focus on 

 

• Symmetry 
• Both mobility & stability in the hips
• Stability in the core
• Stability of the shoulders
• Mobility and shock absorption of the ankles -I’m going to look at this next week 
• Body awareness 

 

Adding yoga to your routine needn’t take up hours of your time, just 10 minutes a couple of times per week is enough for you to feel the benefit.

 

Here is a short flow you can use to improve your body’s performance for riding.