Yoga For Mountain Bikers

How to be more agile, mobile and thoughtful on the bike, with yoga

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Dropping some simple yoga poses into your post-ride routine will unlock huge benefits on the bike. “That’s because yoga isn’t just about flexibility, it is what we need to do to be more agile, mobile and mindful as mountain bikers,” says Karen Maidment, mountain biker and founder of Soul Connection Yoga. With that in mind (and body) we look at three ways yoga boosts your mental and physical awareness.

PERFECT PROPRIOCEPTION

Yoga increases proprioception, the awareness of the position and the movement of your body. Understanding where your body is in space and time will help you process what you are doing on the bike. This will allow you to respond instinctively to changes and features on the trail. Single-leg poses or balance work in a yoga practice will have you feeling the benefit on the next bit of skinny singletrack. “Getting your body to adapt to what your bike is doing in accordance with the terrain is key,” says Karen, “poses that help your body adapt to changing environments will give you a better sense of control when you are on your bike.”