yoga for cyclists

Craig Roberts, DC WWW.DOCROBERTS.COM

YOGA FOR CYCLISTSMen are born soft and supple:dead, they are stiff and hard.

Plants are born tender and pliant:dead, they are brittle and dry.

Thus whoever is stiff and inflexibleis a disciple of death.

Whoever is soft and yieldingis a disciple of life.

-Lao Tsu


Muscle Imbalance

Cycling creates predictable muscle imbalances. Muscles that are chronically stretched become weak in neutral positions. Muscles that are chronically shortened become tight in neutral positions.


Cycling is not a postural break……


The best cycling posture is the worst slumping posture!

This posture is associated with two well known “syndromes”, upper and lower cross.These are described in detail in remaining slides.

Yoga for Cyclists targets these muscular imbalances, bringing greater harmony, balance, ease, endurance, and strength to the cyclist’s body, and by extension, to the mind.


Short/tight Weak/stretched Pectorals Suboccipitals Upper trap/levator

scapulae

Lower and middle traps

Rhomboids Serratus anterior Deep neck flexors

Postural findings:Rounded shoulders

Anterior head carriage

C0-C1 hyperextension

Elevation of shoulders

Winging of scapulae

UPPER CROSS

-McCaffery’s notes


Upper Cross Syndrome After

Liebenson and Janda

“The combined result of this posture is that the cervico-cranial, cervicothoracic, glenohumeral, and tempero-mandibular joints are all overstressed. Joint dys-function and trigger points naturally result from these muscle imbalances, associated with headache, neck pain, shoulder blade pain, and TMJ and shoulder disorders” (Liebenson).


Key movement patterns

During normal neck flexion the chin will travel in a smooth arc to the chest, and will come to rest either touching the chest or no more than two fingers away from the chest. This motion can only occur if the deep neck flexors and the SCMs are working together properly. If the SCM is overactive and the deep flexors are weak or inhibited, the SCM’s action will cause the chin to poke, as picture in the dotted outline above. The most crucial period to watch for this pattern is in the first 5 degrees of movement (Hammer). After the initial 5 degrees the patient may correct him/herself.

If the chin cannot reach a position of no more than two fingerwidths from the chest the suboccipitals may be tight (travel).

Altered key movement patternsShoulder AbductionShoulder elevation beginning before 60 degrees indicates muscle imbalance (overactive upper trapezius and/or levator scapula, inhibited mid and lower trapezius).

Shoulder hike do to overactive upper trapezius

Normal shoulder abduction

Push up testScapular winging occuring during floor or wall push ups indicates a weak/inhibited serratus anterior. Observe both sides for symmetry as the descrepency is often more suddle than pictured below.

Scapular winging during wall push-up

-Hoppenfeld


Respiration

Respiration may often be affected by upper cross syndrome Rounding of the shoulders and increased thoracic

kyphosis (upper back rounding) lead to decreased lateral excursion of the rib cage (think of the ribs moving up and down like a bucket-handle—poor posture impedes the bucket-handle movement).

Compression at the sternoclavicular joint reflexively increases respiratory rate (MPI)

Look for: Paradoxical breathing (“chest breathing”) Trigger points in scalenes (accessory muscles of

respiration)


Hatha yoga for upper cross

PoseFacilitaterhomboids, lowerand mid trap

Facilitate deepneck flexors

Facilitate serratusanterior

Stretch pectoralmuscles

Stretchsuboccipitalmuscles

Tadasana(standing pose) X X XSalabhasana(locust) X XChaturangaDandasana X XNakrasana X XDhanurasana(bow pose) X X XSarvangasana(shoulder stand) XTrikonasana(triangle pose) X X XPurvottanasana(inclined plane) X X X



Pose Facilitate rhomboids, lower and mid trap

Facilitate deep neck flexors

Stretch upper trap/levator

Stretch pectoral muscles

Stretch suboccipital muscles

Parvatasana (mountain pose) X X X

Ustrasana (camel pose) X

Setu Bandhasana (bridge pose)

X X X

Adho Mukha Svanasanaa X X

Sasamgasana (Hare pose in 2 phases)

X X



Whenever possible make certain the the mid and lower traps are active, the shoulders are externally rotated and depressed, and that the deep neck flexors are active tucking the chin and keeping the ears in a plumb line with the center of the shoulders. A mirror or an instructor is extremely helpful in the beginning.

Be especially conscious of the above directions when performing tadasana, vajrasana, and salabhasana.

As you enter each pose first mentally check your body position, then make certain that you are breathing slowly and with the diaphragm.

PoseFacilitaterhomboids, lowerand mid trap

Facilitate deepneck flexors

Stretch uppertrap/levator

Stretch pectoralmuscles

Stretchsuboccipitalmuscles

VirabhadrasanaI X X X

VirabhadrasanaII X X X


W-exercise

Arms may be straight Arms in overhead “V”Quadraped track

…………………………Warrior sequence to one side, then the other……………………………

……………..Several Times……………….

…………One side, then other……….….


Short/tight Weak/stretched Hip flexors Lumbar erector spinae Tensor fascia latae Quadratus lumborum Piriformis

Gluteus maximus Gluteus medius Abdominals

Postural findings:Lumbar hyperlordosis

Anterior pelvic tilt

Protruding abdomen

Foot flare

Hypertrophy of thoraco-lumbar junction

Groove in iliotibial band

LOWER CROSS

-Liebenson


Lower Cross Syndrome

“The combined result of this posture is that the lumbosacral, thoracolumbar, SI, hip, and knee joints are all over-stressed. Joint dysfunction and trigger points naturally result from these muscle imbalances, accompanied by low back pain, buttock pain, pseudo-sciatica, and knee disorders.” -Liebenson

-McCaffery’s notes


Key movement patternsLeg extension

The prone patient is instructed to slowly lift one leg while the evaluator uses one hand to monitor the activity of the gluteal muscles and the hamstrings of the leg being raised, and the other hand to monitor the lumbar erectors bilaterally. The correct sequence is listed at left.

-Hammer


Key movement patterns

Hip Abduction

Leg should rise in-plane with the body

Leg and foot should maintain neutral rotation

Tight piriformis causing external rotation of foot.

Tight TFL or hip flexors causing thigh flexion

Tight QL causing hip-hike


Hatha Yoga for lower cross

Pose Facilitate glut max

Facilitate glut med

Facilitate abdominals

Stretch piriformis

Stretch lumbar erectors

Stretch hip flexors

Stretch TFL

Sasamgasana X Jathara Parivertanasana X Ardha-Matsyen-drasana X X Rajakopatasana (pigeon pose) X X Purvottanasana X X Ardha-Salabhasana X




Facilitate glut med


Stretch piriformis

Stretch lumbar erectors/QL

Stretch hip flexors

Stretch TFL

Padhastasana X Paschimot-anasana X Trikonasana X Vashistasana I (side plank) X X Ardha Chandrasana

X Virabhadrasana III

X Janushirasana X




Facilitate glut med


Stretch piriformis


Stretch hip flexors

Stretch TFL

Sarvangasana X Lunge stretch (surya namaskar)

X Navasana (w post tilt) X X Supta Vajrasana X Side-lying TFL (in class)

X On back one knee bent (in class)

X X




Facilitate glut med


Stretch piriformis


Stretch hip flexors

Stretch TFL

Tadasana with neutral pelvis

X Savasana with neutral pelvis

X

yoga for cyclists

Health & Medicine

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lao tsu craig roberts