Yoga for cyclists: Half frog pose by Total Women’s Cycling a Road Cycling video by Total Women’s Cycling
The Half Frog pose provides a deep stretch for the quads, that cyclists work hard. It also gives a mild backbend to the spine, to relieve tension from being in the saddle.
How to do the pose:
- Start in Sphinx pose, elbows underneath the shoulders
- Bend the left knee and reach back with the left hand to hold the left foot or ankle
- This might be a strong enough stretch and if so just stay here
- If you need more stretch start to press the left foot towards the buttock, make sure you keep the front of the left hip on the floor
- Keep lifting up out of the front elbow
- If you have the foot on the buttock and you want more stretch see if you can hold the top of your foot, turning your fingers so that they point forwards and the elbow points up towards the ceiling
- Then start to take the foot towards the floor on the outside of the left hip
- Stay here for up to 5 breaths
- Repeat on the other side.
What to watch out for
- Any pain in the knee joint, back off straight away if you feel any pain in the knee
- Donʼt force the foot down
- If you have a lot of restriction in the quads the hip will try to lift off the floor – try to keep the hip down and make the work happen in the quads.
Precautions
- Avoid this pose if you have any knee injury.
Our instructor is Polly Clark; yoga teacher and founder of Mountain Yoga Breaks who offer weekends combining mountain biking and yoga in the beautiful Welsh countryside.
