By John Contreras. Physiotherapist, Pilates Instructor (APPI Master Trainer), Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NCSA)
How Pilates may be the key to pain free cycling?
Pilates for Cyclists
For a growing number of people in Australia and the UK, weekend mornings mean an early wake up call, putting on lycra and joining the masses on Beach Road in Melbourne or Richmond Park in London to participate in one of the most popular recreational activities – cycling.
As a physiotherapist, I believe the benefits of cycling are countless and I am sure most of us have prescribed to our patients a regular spin for various reasons including:
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Lower limb strength endurance
- Lower limb range of motion
- Low impact exercise
- Relaxation (generally this involves a quiet cycle path rather than riding on a dual carriage way!)
Sadly, for some cyclists, low back pain (LBP) becomes a limiting factor to their riding. In fact it has been recently reported that 50% of recreational cyclists report LBP (Schulz & Gordon, 2010). Unfortunately for us health professionals there isn’t a lot of research into the possible reasons some cyclists develop LBP and others don’t. However; a couple of papers may shed some light on how Pilates can help get our clients back on their bikes.
It appears that cyclists with LBP tend to cycle with greater lower lumber flexion, more lumbar rotation, less anterior pelvic tilt and reduced lumbar multifidus activity (Burnett, Cornelius, Dankaerts, & O’Sullivan, 2004; Van Hoof, Volkaerts, O'Sullivan, Verschueren, & Dankaerts, 2012). So in essence they ride their bike in a more rounded position. How this posture specifically leads to a pain experience is a little more complicated, and perhaps we can discuss this at a later point. Though, if we look at the act of cycling as a postural challenge, and one that some people perform better in than others, it can provide clinicians with a starting point for management using Pilates.
Ever since I completed my training in Pilates, I have always felt the advantage Pilates had over other exercise forms is
the way it is taught. The tactile feedback, visual images and verbal cues all enable our clients to achieve a quality of movement that they may not have managed otherwise. In order to keep Pilates for Cyclists as evidence informed as possible, I aim to address a couple of key postural points:
- Improve lumbo-pelvic-femoral (i.e. spine-pelvis-hips) awareness and co-ordination so as to reduce the level of lower lumbar flexion
- Improve the muscular strength endurance of the lumbar extensors i.e. lumbar multifidus
Using these two starting points, I can then develop a Pilates for Cyclists programme that addresses some of the areas observed to be problematic in a population of LBP cyclists. Once my client has developed their ‘riding position’ awareness and control, I can then move on to the challenge of loading the system up and building their lower limb strength in a systematic fashion i.e turn their legs into formidable pistons (I will discuss some of the muscle strength aspects of Pilates for Cyclists in another post).
So in summary, riding a bike isn’t at all as the simile would have us believe
‘like riding a bike’. It is a postural skill and one that requires an element of endurance. Two qualities that we as Pilates teachers are in an ideal position to address.
So in summary, riding a bike isn’t at all as the simile would have us believe
‘like riding a bike’. It is a postural skill and one that requires an element of endurance. Two qualities that we as Pilates teachers are in an ideal position to address.
John Contreras (johncontrerasphysio@gmail.com)
Physiotherapist, Pilates Instuctor (APPI Master Trainer), Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (NCSA)
B.Physio (Hons), B.Sc, M.ExSci(S&C),Grad Cert Sports Physio
APPI Pilates For Cyclists 1 Day Course
Do you want to learn more about Pilates for Cyclists? Attend our 1 day
APPI Pilates for Cyclists course. The course aims to provide delegates with a greater insight into the population specific progression of their client’s Pilates program. Focused mainly on matwork and small equipment Pilates, the course is suitable to any Fitness / Pilates instructor currently working with clients on an individual basis or leading classes.
Sydney 29 May (Balmain Sports Medicine, Rozelle)
Melbourne 4 September (Viva Physiotherapy, CBD)
The course will run from 9am-5pm and costs $300. Book as a group of 3 or more and receive a 20% discount.
To read the
full course outline click here or
QUICK BOOK now.
References.
Burnett, A. F., Cornelius, M. W., Dankaerts, W., & O’Sullivan, P. B. (2004). Spinal kinematics and trunk muscle activity in cyclists: a comparison between healthy controls and non-specific chronic low back pain subjects—a pilot investigation.
Manual Therapy, 9(4), 211-219.
Schulz, S. J., & Gordon, S. J. (2010). Recreational cyclists: the relationship between low back pain and training characteristics.
International Journal of Exercise Science, 3(3), 3.
Van Hoof, W., Volkaerts, K., O'Sullivan, K., Verschueren, S., & Dankaerts, W. (2012). Comparing lower lumbar kinematics in cyclists with low back pain (flexion pattern) versus asymptomatic controls–field study using a wireless posture monitoring system.
Manual Therapy, 17(4), 312-317.
