Photo: Samuel Costin
Lower back pain is the most common issue I see in mountain bikers and is one that can seriously derail your training. Luckily, consistent practice of a few carefully selected yoga poses can quickly reduce the pain and get you back out on the bike, riding faster and harder than ever.
What causes lower back pain?
Your body is an efficiency machine. To conserve energy, it adapts to what you do most frequently, even when that’s not what is best for your health. Over time, these adaptations develop into muscular imbalances that can lead to tightness and chronic pain. For mountain bikers, the common pattern is:
- Tight hip flexors.
- Weak glutes.
- Tight hamstrings.
- Insufficient core strength.
- Misaligned pelvis.
Tight hip flexors
Most of us sit too much during the day—at work, travelling to and from work, when we’re eating, relaxing, and of course, on the bike—and this puts our hip flexors (the group of muscles that bring the legs and upper body together in flexion) in a chronically shortened position. As the hips are rarely called upon to fully extend or rotate internally and externally, they tighten up to optimise for this narrow range of movement.
Muscles also become short and tight when they’re overworked and mountain biking is particularly taxing on the hip flexors. A healthy body can endure a considerable amount of stress but only if you’re paying attention to your recovery—warming up, cooling down, nailing your nutrition and ensuring you’re getting enough sleep.
Tight hip flexors pull your pelvis out of alignment placing stress on the lower back.
Weak glutes
Your glutes (buttock muscles) deactivate through lack of use (a big part of this is that we sit too much) and also in response to tight hip flexors. As the opposing muscle group, the glutes relax to protect the hip flexors from tearing. If your glutes are weak, your lower back muscles (which are much less powerful) are forced to compensate and become tight and sore as a result.
Tight hamstrings
Tight hamstrings are common to most athletes but the problem is even more pronounced in cyclists as your legs never fully extend when you’re pedalling. This means that the hamstrings get strong and tight in a partially contracted state. Furthermore, if the glutes are weak, the hamstrings have to compensate, which makes them tighten up even more and exacerbates the problem. Tight hamstrings pull the pelvis into a posterior tilt, which places tremendous pressure at the lower back.
Weak core
Insufficient core strength, resulting from sitting too much, poor posture and/or an imbalanced training program, can also be a factor.If your core is weak, your lower back muscles are forced to compensate and become tight and sore as a result.
So here we have the perfect storm.
Your yoga prescription
Yoga has an excellent track record of alleviating, and in some cases completely eradicating, the type of lower back pain that is caused by the combination of factors I’ve described above. In fact, the specific prescription is surprisingly simple and doesn’t require a massive time commitment.
Let’s recap:
- Release tight hips and hamstrings.
- Increase hip and spinal mobility.
- Strengthen the core, lower back and glutes.
- Realign the pelvis.
If you have a back injury, please check with a physical therapist before performing any of these exercises. You may be advised against practicing forward bends, sidebends and twists.
If you have the go ahead, you can follow these 3 simple steps to start working towards your recovery.
BEFORE YOUR RIDE
Phase 1. Mobilize and warm up your hips and spine with these 3 exercises. Breathe in and out through your nose and take the movements nice and slow, wriggling into any tight spots.
Phase 2. Then engage and activate your entire body and with these 3 core stability poses. Work up to at least 1 minute for each of them.
Plank
-From all fours, walk your hands forward, tuck your toes and push up into Plank.
-Spread your fingers wide and press your hands evenly into the mat. Check that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and your feet are hip-width apart.
-Try to create a straight line all the way from your heels, to your hips, to the back of your head. Engage your core and press back through your heels.
-Screw your hands into your mat and engage your shoulder blades on your back.
-Look down at the mat to complete the alignment.
Side Plank
-From Plank, shift your weight onto your right hand and the outside edge of your right foot. Stack your left foot on top of the right and straighten your left arm up to the sky.
-Make sure your right wrist is directly below your right shoulder and look straight ahead.
-Your ankles, hips and shoulders should all be in a straight line.
Locust
-Lie face down on your mat with your feet hip-width apart and your arms resting by your sides, palms facing up.
-Lift your chest, hands, arms and feet off the mat and interlace your fingers at the base of your spine. Draw your shoulders back and press back through the balls of your feet. Look straight down at the mat.
-When you are ready to release the pose, rest one cheek on the mat and rock your hips from side to side to release your lower back.
-Bring your hands underneath your shoulders and push back to Child’s pose.
These mobility and strengthening exercises will prepare you to ride with good body mechanics and maximum energy.
AFTER YOUR RIDE
Phase 3. Directly after your ride, release tight muscles to restore full range of motion. The key muscles to stretch are the hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings and lower back. Hold each of these poses for 5-10 deep breaths, in and out through your nose.
Low Lunge
-Step your right foot forward, drop your left knee and release your back foot.
-Rest both hands on your front thigh. Check that your right knee is directly above your ankle.
-Breathe into the stretch.
-Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
-Release the pose and switch sides.
Lizard
-Bring both hands down to the mat.
-Place your right hand inside your right foot and walk your right foot out to the edge of the mat.
-If you have the flexibility in your hips, you can come down onto your forearms and interlace your fingers. If this is too intense, you can rest your forearms on a cushion.
-Wriggle from side to side to loosen up your hips.
-Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
-Release the pose and switch sides.
Pigeon
-Bend your right knee and position your right foot under your left hip.
-Release your back foot and slide it back. Look behind you to check that your left leg and foot are straight.
-If your hips are not level, you can support your right hip on a cushion.
-Drop down onto your forearms.
-Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
-Release the pose and switch sides.
Reclining Hand to Toe
-Lie flat on your back.
-Bring your left knee into your chest, straighten your leg and push through your heel. Walk your hands up your leg to take hold of the back of your thigh, calf, ankle or big toe.
-You can bend your bottom leg if your hamstrings are very tight and loop a strap or belt around your raised foot to increase the intensity.
-Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
-Release the pose and switch sides.
Reclining Spinal Twist
-Lie on your back and hug your knees into your chest.
-Lower your left leg to the mat and squeeze your right knee into your chest.
-Bring both arms out in a T, palms facing down.
-Hook your right foot behind your left inner thigh and gently guide your right knee across your body, down towards the mat, as far as is comfortable.
-Look to the right and try to keep both shoulders flat to the mat.
-Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
-Release the pose and switch sides.
These poses will help to relieve pain at your lower back so that you feel more supple and agile in your body. Drop me an email at abi@yoga15.com if you have any questions.
Editor’s Note: You can find more information about the author’s Yoga For Mountain Bikers series here.
