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July has started, the summer holidays are upon us and the Tour De France field is rolling. It's cycling time in Denmark once again.
We Danes are crazy about the iron horse and are known the world over for being one of the most cycling people. As the summer flowers in the fields appear in the landscape, helmet-wearing exercisers, tourists and enthusiasts take to the roads across the country. And you might be thinking, how the heck does Pilates fit into this?
Today, however, we're letting someone else take the reins to answer that question. We received an email from one of our customers, Mikael, who wants to share his experience with Pilates and his many hours in the saddle. We call it Pilates and the Iron Horse:
Will doing Pilates really make me a better cyclist? My short answer is: YES!
Since I started at Pilates Cph, I have a much better posture on my bike and have built up a completely different and stronger basic shape than I had before.
When I sit in the saddle, I no longer only use my leg muscles. No, now it's also the small muscles and yes - I've actually noticed that my pedalling has become much better and lighter. Why is that? Because Pilates training focuses on all the small muscles in the body. The whole body! A simple exercise that may seem “boring” has taught me to use my core and abdominal muscles to generate strength all the way to the soles of my feet. Pilates has has given me a total strengthening of the core of my body, which is important if you cycle long distances on the road like I do. And even more so if you have a goal of tackling bigger climbs and mountains ala Tour De France.
Suffered from back pain
A long bike ride in the saddle is always good, but I often suffered from back pain after sitting hunched over in the same position for so many hours. With my hand on my heart - lower back if you will, I can say today that Pilates has eliminated 90% of the back pain that I was suffering from.
And I owe that to the instructors at Pilates Cph. The high level of competence that they all possess means that you really train with the whole body. Nothing is forgotten. It's sometimes nerdy to go so deep and focus on a tiny muscle in the back that has nothing to do with cycling. But it's clear now that all exercises - even the slow ones - are done because they work and matter.
Pilates training at Pilates Cph is a great supplement and an effective workout for anyone who cycles. Athletes, enthusiasts and everyone else. Because unlike the other Pilates studios I've tried, where it's more about making it as “fast, heavy and sweat-dripping” as possible, at Pilates Cph it's often more slow and focused... and surprisingly, very hard! And that's what gives results that are sustainable - and useful.”
We'd like to thank Mikael for the kind words and the post. Remember, we're open all summer, so grease up your iron horse and join us - bring your bike to the studio. We have plenty of space - even for your bike.