Originally Posted by
Scarbo
I said, in my first posting in this thread, that I've never stretched. I did not mean to be dismissive of the OP; I was just relating what my experience was.
You mention yoga and this interests me. I don't do yoga (I don't have the enormous patience that it seems to require!); but I've often wondered if it would enhance my riding. However, I do weightlifting (squats; deadlifts) and I know for a fact that this has helped to strengthen my riding capabilities overall. One thing though--I don't think weightlifting has really served to make me more flexible. So, now I am wondering about this relationship between the body's flexibility and its core strength, which is enhanced by working with weights. Superficially, one would think that these activities would be at odds.
Cheers!
There are a lot of sports and activities that require great strength and great flexibility, like ballet and gymnastics as already mentioned. They're obviously not incompatible, unless taken to extremes. As for weight training helping riding, I'm not sure if many pro bicyclists spend much time in the weight room. I'm also not sure they spend much time doing yoga or stretching, either, though most of them are pretty young and thin, so they're probably above average in flexibility to begin with.
There are a lot of different forms of yoga. Patience isn't really necessary for many forms, but focus and discipline and balance are. I get into a similar mental state doing yoga and riding at close to my limit when I'm solo. One of the keys to enjoying yoga is, I think, similar to what it takes to enjoy riding -- focusing on your own experience, and not thinking about what anyone else is doing or thinking about you. The biggest thing that keeps most people for doing yoga is self consciousness, not patience or an appetite for mysticism.