Being mindful while cycling is hard, as cyclists our minds go something like this before a ride: “Where are my shoes? Are my tires aired up? Do I have time for this? Is my Garmin charged? What will I cook for dinner? Do the kids need to be picked up? What was I looking for again?” We go from one activity (work) to another (cycling) and we never stop to check in with our mind and body. Without taming the mind we may find it hard to perform or even enjoy the ride. Let’s learn how to take a bike ride for mental health.
Riding is your time to be present, engaged, and human – while balancing the mind and body. Your Breath is life, oxygen is healthy and you are purifying your organs, nervous system, and mind when you ride. Recognize and be present.
Use these basic principles to train your mind. When you apply mindfulness to cycling, cycling becomes a tool that brings relaxation and vitality. Allow your mind and body to work together and you will feel alive and strong on and off the bike.
Pay Attention
Paying attention is developing body awareness. Concentrate on your breathing, cadence, how your shoulders and arms feel. If you feel any tense areas (clenching hands to the bars or tight shoulders), relax. But also think about potential causes of the tension. Is it cycling-related (knee pain from an incorrect saddle height), or is it something in your life (you’ve been working 12 hour days)? Follow your breath, focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale. Notice how your breathing changes as you sprint or climb a hill. Take note of your pedaling as your legs rise and fall with each movement.
Stay Calm and Positive
Research has linked a positive outlook to better performance. Avoiding negative self-talk is a key principle of mindfulness. Thoughts such as “I want to stop right now, I wish this was over, this hill is too steep, I can’t go that fast,” are just thoughts and don’t have to be reality. Be aware of using negative words like can’t, don’t, won’t while riding.
Accept Challenge
Pain is often an opportunity to grow. Monster climbs, bad weather, and monotonous flat sections can turn an enjoyable ride into a frustrating one—if you allow them to. Every ride has challenges and it’s up to you to be brave and accept your ‘path.’ Don’t try to ignore the challenge of a sprint, a steep hill, or the intervals in your training plan; ride through and acknowledge where you are in your ride and training.
Enjoy the Ride
Don’t be dissatisfied—with how fast you are, with how far you are able to go, and with who is beating you on Strava. While it’s important to improve, you also need to accept the rider you are at this moment. While riding think about all the good you are doing today—building endurance, making endorphins, taking time for you! Appreciate that cycling helps create a healthy self-identity even in the middle of a chaotic life. Need a new place to ride to spice things up? Check out our MTB destination guides.
Interested in more tips? Check them out here.
Great post! What touched me the most was when you said while its important to improve, you also need to accept the rider you are at this moment. I’ve been mtbing since July and that was a reminder I needed to hear. Thanks Jen!
Yes we are surrounded by ads for skill clinics, articles that focus on being a ‘better cyclist’ etc…so it’s hard to just enjoy where we are at the moment. Keep with it!
I was just feeling a bit nostalgic about mtbing, maybe I’d given up too soon to log road miles instead. No more. I’m going to embrace the joy I get – right now – rolling fast and free without worrying about the last (or next) endo! Thank you.
It’s very easy to look so far ahead we forget that what we’re doing now is fine/good/ok/amazing… life is all about the journey, we should make the most of each step, however wobbly.