Exercises for stiff riders

Ann Hatfield (keithr@nocdc.bc.ca)
Mon, 24 Nov 1997 21:00:56 -0800

You all may remember me whining some months back about being stiff and
twisted and how it adversely affected my riding . Some yoga helped, and
less commuting by car to work and reasonably hard physical work around this
old homestead through the summer, but it wasn't a miracle cure.

But something else is almost that. It's a form of exercise and I'm almost
embarrassed to admit to doing it but it is wonderful, and let me state
categorically that NO, I'M NOT GOING TO PERFORM!

It's belly dancing! Alright-stop laughing already!

You have to isolate and move various bits of you and yes, they do pertain
to riding! I think it's relearning to move my hips individually up and
down and sideways in figure of eights and move my rib cage separately from
my pelvis that has done the trick for me. But everything moves more freely
now: wrists, shoulders, neck, upper back...

My lower back hurts much less, I walk better, I don't seize up as much when
I begin my rides, and I think I ride straighter now, etc. It's been a big
help.

Now if only I was anything of a dancer...

Ann