For ‘core’ we often most immediately think ‘abs’, but the core can mean the trunk of the body and represents the bridge between legs and torso.
Stiffness and tightness together with core weakness are commonly linked to injury problems. Because of back weakness in particular cyclists have a tendency towards poor posture, with hunched and rounded shoulders and a flattened lumbar curve or lower back. This poor posture can make you susceptible to injuries that can force you of the bike.
This week I am going to talk you through probably the simplest, most important ‘core’ exercise for cyclists that focusses on strengthening the lower and upper back. It is in the truest sense a ‘corrective exercise’, balancing for the time spent in the saddle hunched over the bars, not to mention time spent at a desk hunched over a PC. When performed together with the thoracic foam roller exercise in this series (for pre-mobilisation) this exercise can improve your back strength, posture and cycling performance.
