Review: Yoga for Cyclists by Lexie Williamson

VERDICT: a useful, easy-to-read book that should help any cyclist remain fit and flexible; this practical training manual is a great addition to your cycling bookshelf

I’ve put in quite a few miles on the bike by now, and a few weeks ago I started to develop a bit of a niggle in my upper thighs. Not the horrible, sharp pain of a damaged muscle, more the dull ache of an over-used one. To fix this, I turned to yoga, and this book.

As a British Wheel of Yoga and Yoga Sports Science qualified instructor, author Lexie Williamson knows her stuff, and she’s also talked to several experts in the world of sports training. Yoga is fast becoming a powerful weapon in the trainer’s arsenal, improving flexibility, core strength, balance, breathing efficiency and mental focus. Lexie explains how the unnatural slouched posture and repetitive nature of riding takes its toll on the body – hence my aching leg muscles.

Yoga is fast becoming a powerful weapon in the trainer’s arsenal, improving flexibility, core strength, balance, breathing efficiency and mental focus

The book is split into sections covering such topics as why yoga is so good for cyclists, breathing and the all-important stretches. This last is split into legs, arms and wrists, back, core and so on. The research to back up Lexie’s claims is presented in an accessible and highly readable manner, and I really appreciated this empirical approach. For example, I’ve always thought of yogic breathing as one of the more esoteric elements of yoga, but here it’s explained that a more efficient breathing technique delivers more oxygen to the muscles, meaning an athlete can perform more strongly – simple really.

This book suffers from the same problem as all yoga guides: it’s much easier to correctly adopt a proper pose if shown first. The instructions are clearly written and easy to follow, but the written word plus one image can never adequately replace an instructor. This is presumably why Lexie also advises her readers to join a class.

All the stretches have been adapted for cyclists and I’ve been performing several of them after being on the bike. I can report that they really do help; I can no longer feel that niggling muscle. I’ve also joined a weekly yoga class on Lexie’s advice. There’s also an excellent chapter on flow poses – a series of postures that lead into one another – which I’m very much looking forward to incorporating into my training.

Tech spec
Yoga for Cyclists by Lexie Williamson • Published by Bloomsbury • 194 pages • RRP: £16.99 • ISBN: 978-1-4081-9047-0 • This product was a present