Shift into gear, OMies, it’s National Bike Month! It’s going to be off the chain — literally — and I’m here to be your spokes-woman for all your cycling needs. Okay, okay, I’ll pump the brakes — you’re probably getting tire-d of my biking puns but I can’t contain my glee! Yoga AND biking, how can you not get excited about that?

Taking time to grease your chain and top off your tire pressure is essential to keeping your bike in top shape and your body is no different — you gotta tune it up. Whether you’re a seriously speedy cyclist, a bike commuter, or you casually rock a unicycle, ensuring all of your gears — aka your joints and tissues — are moving fluidly can mean the difference between smooth sailing and deflating mid-workout. Even if you don’t have time for an hour-plus yoga practice, just a few key poses will go a long way to help you sustain balance and in turn optimize your cycling by:

• Moving your body outside the cycling range of motion (aka hip flexion/extension) — a must for sustaining balance

• Stretching your pedaling muscles, including quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, which will promote growth of new, strong muscle tissue

• Re-lengthening the front of your body after hunching over your handlebars, resulting in better posture and less back strain

• Reminding your body of your full breath capacity so that you can boost your endurance on your next ride, keep your mind calm, and recover more effectively

Cyclist hook up!
Ride your bike to our next yoga + beer sesh at Hilliard’s Beer on Saturday, May 31 and you'll get half off admission (just 10 bucks for yoga, a tallboy, and Picky Bars) — no need to pre-register, just come show off your ride.

And, in the meantime, hit up Pinwheel (pictured above) to help mitigate post-ride booty lock.

Happy riding!