Balance Exercises for Bicyclists

Cycling relies on the power of your abdominals and lower back but does little to condition your core. According to exercise physiologist Patty Tomlin from Colorado’s Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, "Cycling can sap your core strength and actually create problems." Constant pedaling overdevelops your quads and leaves your hamstrings weak, which can lead to substandard posture and a weak core. If you strengthen your core, you’ll stop wasting energy rocking back and forth on the bicycle to maintain balance.

  1. The Shoulder Press

    • As you lean forward on the handlebars, your shoulders are under constant pressure to counteract your upper body weight. Because many cyclists sway from side to side, the extraneous movement makes it that much more difficult to maintain balance on the bike. Your shoulders have to continually shift and adjust to your body’s motion. Perform a dumbbell press on a stability ball to strengthen your shoulders as well as your core stabilizing muscles, suggests Shannon Sovndal’s book “Cycling Anatomy.” Sit on the ball and hold the dumbbells with your arms out to the sides and bent at the elbows. Lift your hands to shoulder height, palms facing forward. Slowly raise the dumbbells, extending your arms vertically. Lower them with the same controlled motion. Perform eight to 12 reps for two to three sets.

    Core Stability Training

    • Even if you’re not rocking from side to side, you still have to shift your weight from side to side to power down on your pedals. The shifting motion torques your trunk and puts pressure on your shoulder joints. By doing exercises that simulate this movement, you can strengthen your core so as to keep your body as still as possible when riding. For example, in a dumbbell raise and sweep, your center of gravity shifts. Your body has to adjust to these shifts to maintain balance, according to Sovndal. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. Raise your right arm up in front of you to shoulder height. At the same time, raise your left arm to your side to shoulder height. While staying in the horizontal plane, swap your arm positions. Move your left arm to your front and your right arm to your side. Slowly return the weights to your sides. Alternate your starting position and repeat.

    Using Rollers

    • Although riding on rollers is a quick way to improve your balance, many riders are frightened of using rollers for training purposes. However, modern rollers are better designed because they have smaller drums and a smoother ride. Some rollers have a parabolic shape and are thus easier to ride on without falling off. You can perform a high-cadence session to work on a smooth pedal stroke, according to Nik Cook’s article “Training: How to Ride on Rollers” on the BikeRadar website. To begin, set the rollers near a wall and put your bicycle in low gear. Position your wheels in the middle of the rollers. Place one hand on the wall for support and start pedaling at 60 rpm. As soon as you feel balanced on the bicycle, take your hand off the wall. Fix your gaze on a point in front of you. To end the exercise, gradually slow down until you come to halt.

    Yoga and Pilates

    • Many cyclists barrel through a ride using only their quads. If you use your hamstrings, you can draw on your core and pick up speed, according to Dave Farmar, a Baptiste Vinyasa power yoga instructor and cyclist. Farmar and Patty Tomlin, an exercise physiologist certified in Pilates at Colorado's Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, have designed a regimen combining yoga and Pilates for cyclists. For example, a 10-minute session consists of the following poses: Downward-Facing Dog, Thunderbolt Pose, Crescent Lunge and the Half-Pigeon Pose. From the V-shaped Downward-Facing Dog, walk your feet to your hands and squat into the Thunderbolt Pose. Place one foot forward and lower yourself into a lunge with your arms raised overhead. Then, lower yourself to the floor in the Half-Pigeon, crossing your lead leg in front of you with the back leg extended behind you. When performed regularly, the regimen will result in less hip rock and knee rotation as you pedal.