Just did elements of style and I’m curious if/how to balance a flat back, tilted pelvis, engaged core, and breathing with the belly, or breathing in general. Any tips or advice would be great, thanks.
It takes time. I found doing the yoga breathing workouts and practicing during the recovery intervals in most workouts helps improve this.
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+1 for practicing breathing when in recovery, I also do it on zone 2 rides. This might just be me but I find riding low on the drops and holding in core to stop your thighs brushing the torso on shortish intervals, helps with holding in your core.
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If you are struggling to take deep breathes when you are in proper position, it may be time to think about a bike fit. This may not be the case, but it’s worth noting just in case.
Thanks for the replies. It does seem to get easier with practice. I’ve had a bike fit and generally think my fit is okay, but may need to get a second opinion. I wouldn’t say I struggle to breathe, I just shift to head/chest breathing, but I was under the impression that belly breathing was the way to go. Idk, maybe I’m thinking too hard about such a simple thing as breathing!
Hi @Burnsy - as you know, breathing is somewhat automatic, though we can over-ride and control it to some degree. Overall, there’s a balance between maintaining good posture on the bike with an engaged core (think about transverse abdominal muscles more than your rectus abdominals (https://humankinetics.me/2019/07/25/core-exercises-for-cyclists/), neutral pelvis (not tilted forward, nor rolling back) and belly breathing using your diaphragm. Of course paying attention during the recovery sections between efforts and during general endurance rides is important, but I’ve found the greatest benefits to come from paying attention to these aspects during hard efforts/intervals. A session like Revolver with shorter, relatively high but not maximal intensity intervals, is a great one to use to focus on your posture and breathing for each interval. Happy riding and breathing!
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