How to build core strength?

[VenusdeVelo]

Shewhobikes -- core strengthening is absolutely wonderful for cycling. Like your leg muscles -- your core -- full abdominals and back area -- benefit from strengthening. Besides your legs, they are the key muscles that strengthen your body's stability. Cycling is very dependent upon your core having the strength to control and maneuver the bike, and if you road bike especially, your back and lower back can take a beating if you are not building the muscles around it to their optimal levels. This is what core strengthening does for you. You also gain a great deal of flexibility that cycling can sometimes take away -- whenever you do a sport like cycling over and over, your muscles become somewhat tightened into those positions, and yoga and pilates esp I have found have allowed me to counter that by loosening up that tightness I get in my back, hips, etc.

Pilates is probably the optimal way to build your core (look for classes at your gym or good DVDs I like are Mari Winsor, Stotts Technique). The other way, and also very beneficial you can even do at home is done with a ball (those large ones you fill with air). There are several core exercises you can do for torso and back -- several of the balls you can buy come with some, or you can pickup an issue of Women's Health mag, Self, Shape...they all have routines in there on the ball. Yoga moves that focus on your core can also be used. Added benefits -- recent studies are showing that yoga is an aid in easing post cardio exercise muscle pain -- additionally it relieves lactic acid build-up pain. Yoga is preventative -- these studies showed results with people doing yoga 2-3 times per week.

Also check out some sites that provide info and some floor and ball exercises:
www.ultracycling.com
www.yogajournal.com/practice/196.cfm
www.hubbub.com/DailYoga/30MinuteYoga.htm
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?stor...TOKEN=44930982
http://www.ginmiller.com/gmf04/artinfo/bestabsSB2.htm
http://www.shopnbc.com/pom2k.aspx?ca...laytype=2&ft=0

Good luck, I have never had a better back since I started core strengthening!!

[shewhobikes]

BikeGoddess, yes, please do send me your routine.

Venus, thanks for the good links! I may just have to get one of those balls. We have yoga and pilates at the gym, but now that it's so pretty I hate to go inside! At least with the ball I can squeeze a little work in in the early a.m. and while catching the news on the tv.

[neuroticcyclist]

I too recommend Pilates and a ball. It has done amazing things for flexibility (i.e., staying in the drops for a long time) and lower back strength. I supplement that by lifting in the winter and light arms in the summer.

Pilates is hard to learn by yourself, so I recommend a class. Once you know the routine, you can do either half of it after a ride to stretch or the whole thing in 45 mins to an hour on an "off day" and feel better and stronger for it.

There is also a thing called Bosu, but it was WAY too hard for me!

[Bike Goddess]

I need your email address before I can do that. Send it to me via private message from your home page

[nuthatch]

Thanks for asking this question. I know it's kind of been asked before but it's good to see what you guys do individually. My back was just aching like crazy on a ride today (a bit longer than normal) and I was thinking about what kind of routine I could do at home, quickly and without too much special equipment - just make it part of the normal routine like riding and stretching and brushing my teeth. I feel like I'm going to have to shoe-horn it in somewhere timewise.

[Bike Goddess]

Nuthatch- Check your seat height and handlebar height as well. Also when I get home I do a stretch for my back that eases the pain- other than that you'll need to do some strength training (my opinion).

Lay flat on the floor- bring your knees up to your chest- hold about 20 secs. do this 2-3 tiimes and your back should feel much better. Also you can do the same thing except bring one leg up to you knee- stretch and then the other one up. Alternate legs.

I will also stretch on long rides when I take a break. That seems to help as well!

[JanT]

Crunches, and the Swiss Ball. The balls are cheap, around $20 at most sports stores, and they often have exercise diagrams included. Mine even had a short video. I am amazed at how I can feel the muscles in the abdomen tighten, and how good my shoulders and back feel after a few minutes on the ball. If you're like me and don't like to spend alot of money or time "exercising," this is the way to go. I'd rather ride or run for a half-hour than do some exercise routine!