Dutch Courage - Could your Bike be encouraging neck, back or shoulder pain?

On a recent trip to Amsterdam it really struck me at how the locals looked so relaxed on their bikes. Part of this is because there is a real bike culture and everything is set up to enable cyclists to move around freely. They have priority over cars and pedestrians.

However I believe it is more to do with the bikes they tend to use. The "Sit up and Beg Bike".

I'm not sure why these are not more popular in this country (possibly because we have more hills) but they do encourage better posture. The whole spine can lengthen without scrunching the neck and it is therefore easier and I would say safer to see around you as you cycle.
The handle bars are not straight like on a mountain bike and they also tend to be much higher up, they  are more to the sides encouraging the front of the chest to be open.

However a word of caution, it is like buying a really expensive office chair, we can still slump in it! We need to look at what WE are up to! I did observe some people doing a good slump on them, however I saw more open posture than I see on cyclists in the UK.
I do find in my work that many cyclists tend to have tight neck and shoulders muscles, in my 10 years experience this seems to be more than in non cyclists. Maybe we have something to learn from the Dutch.

As you can see from this image the mountain bike with low straight handle bars encourages an over flexed spine with a scrunched neck and rounded shoulders. If only we could see inside ourselves!

I would recommend the "Sit up and Beg" bike but encourage people to also look at themselves also. Alexander Technique sessions help us to move in a way that doesn't hurt whatever your activity.
www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com Tel 01273 687739

Back Pain - Why me?

 Back pain - Why me?

When I look back at old photos of myself I can now clearly see why I suffered such debilitating back pain and then a prolapsed disc in my neck but I had no idea at the time. 

This one is around 12 years old when I had my first episode of back spasms and I could’t get up off the kitchen floor. I thought I must have done something to myself playing tennis. However I now know that it wasn’t the tennis but what I was doing to myself in the years up to that point. Someone’s back can suddenly go when they pick up a piece of paper off the floor. It was’t the paper or indeed that moment that was important but all the previous moments if you like.

You can see i’m literally sitting on my back in this one. When I started Alexander Technique it was a real revelation  that I had joints below my waist that I could bend from rather than the middle i.e.: my back!

I really am twisted in this one , poking my head forward and pulled down in front.

How down in the dumps do I look here? Maybe I was feeling that way too. 

However I wasn’t born this way as you can see from these earlier photos. I now find that once again I can sit comfortably like this which I was unable to do for years. Something must have changed eh..

So what happened?

 We are a record of what happened to us or what we have experienced. My Mother used to say “Don’t mind him he’s dreadfully shy”!. This may not have helped. Some of us experience name calling at school and /or be a little depressed in those teenage years. You can visibly see this from one of my photos, I was definitely a worrier. 

Alexander Technique showed me that I have a choice and that I can change. I feel 100% better now, more confident, moving better than I did in my 20’s and pain free. 

It’s been interesting to look back as I’m celebrating my 10th year of teaching.

See what my clients say about their sessions here, it can be truly life changing 
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Book a session today and see what you can achieve. Text 07958235123 to book or email mark@alexandertechniquebrighton.com 

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