Growing up in Johannesburg, a young Brett Starkowitz set his sights on competitive road cycling, dreaming of leading the peloton up Alpe d'Huez and down the Champs-Élysées.
But every minute in the saddle was wreaking havoc with his posture.
“I used to be very big into cycling,” recalls the 43-year-old Pilates teacher and head of education and master trainer at London’s Ten Health & Fitness. “As a result, I had zero flexibility and constant niggling lower back injuries.”
The problem, he tells Fit&Well, is that cycling requires “a very specific, hip-hinge, forward-flexion posture” that can make the spine quite rounded, while switching off the abdominals and neglecting the lats of the mid back.
The remedy, he found, was Pilates. “That was very unheard of 25 years ago back in South Africa, but it became an antidote to all the other training I was doing.
“It made me a more efficient cyclist. I definitely had increased mobility through my hamstrings, hip flexors and lumbar spine, which cycling was impinging.
“It taught me how to balance my posture out back to front. It helped strengthen my quads to aid acceleration, and it made me a better cyclist because it improved my set-up on the bike.”
Crucially, it also cleared up the regular aches and strains that were handicapping his time on two wheels.
Now, Starkowitz recommends this Pilates-inspired routine to anyone who cycles regularly, whether that’s in the Spin studio or on their commute to work. It will also help improve the posture and soothe the spine of anyone who finds themselves sitting down for long periods.
Seven Pilates-inspired stretches for cyclists
Starkowitz says you can use this routine before a cycling session, after one or as a standalone workout to keep your body mobile and muscles flexible. Work through each exercise one by one, keeping the tempo slow and controlled.
1. Standing roll down
Starkowitz says this exercise encourages spinal articulation, releases the hamstrings and brings your focus to your breath.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale to prepare.
- As you exhale, lower your chin to your chest and slowly roll down through your spine one vertebra at a time.
- Let your arms and head hang at the bottom, bending your knees slightly if necessary.
- Pause briefly, then inhale and slowly roll back up to standing, placing one vertebra on top of another.
- Perform five slow repetitions.
2. Cat-cow
An often overlooked exercise, this teaches good spinal mobility, core activation and breath coordination, says Starkowitz.
- Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
- Inhale as you arch your back, lifting your head and tailbone (this is cow pose).
- Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin and pelvis (this is cat pose).
- Move slowly between the poses, syncing your breath with each movement.
- Perform 8-10 slow cycles.
3. Downward dog
Another simple yet effective stretch, this helps lengthen the hamstrings, glutes and back muscles, while opening space around the shoulders and calves.
- Start on all fours, tuck your toes and lift your hips up and back to form an inverted V-shape.
- Press the floor away to lengthen your spine and straighten your legs if comfortable.
- Spread your fingers wide and press your heels toward the ground, or pedal your feet, pressing one heel toward the floor at a time, to loosen your calves.
- Perform three sets of 30 seconds, resetting by placing your knees on the floor between each set.
4. Kneeling hip flexor stretch with lateral flexion
This deep lunge will open your hip flexors and improve mobility through the lateral line of your body.
- From kneeling, place your right foot on the floor in front of you.
- Tuck your pelvis slightly under and keep your glutes engaged to protect your lower back.
- Raise your left arm overhead, then gently lean your torso to the right. You should feel a stretch in your left hip flexors and along the left side of your body.
- Perform two sets of 20-30 seconds on each side.
5. Supine glute bridge
A classic mat-based Pilates move, this trains glute activation while strengthening your posterior chain—the muscles that run along the back of your body.
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
- Press into your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower slowly.
- Take two seconds to lift your hips, hold for one second at the top, then take two seconds to lower.
- Perform two sets of 10-12 slow bridges, resting for 30 seconds between sets.
6. Figure-four glute stretch
Having warmed up your glutes and posterior chain, this stretch will help release the deep piriformis and surrounding muscles near the top of the hip joint.
- Lie on your back with knees bent.
- Place your right ankle on your left thigh, just above your left knee.
- Take hold of the back of your left thigh in both hands and gently pull your left leg toward your chest.
- Keep your head and shoulders relaxed and gently deepen the stretch with every exhale.
- Hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds on each side.
7. Knees-bent windscreen wiper
Conclude the routine with some soothing side-to-side stretches that encourage greater spinal rotation and hip mobility.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms out to your sides.
- Exhale as you gently let both knees fall to one side, keeping your shoulders in contact with the floor.
- Hold for 10 seconds, then return your knees to the center and repeat on the other side.
- Perform 10 slow reps on each side.
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