Don\’t be rigid! Lack of flexibility  can cause a lot of problems.

Activities such as ballet, gymnastics, and yoga aren\’t the only things requiring flexibility. It\’s needed for web site building, too. Big Time. What I have in mind doesn\’t always work, especially where slides are concerned. I always have to be ready to consider alternatives, whether I want to or not. It can be surprisingly hard to let go of my original plan, but sometimes I must.

Cycling, and cyclist training, also require flexibility. We don\’t need to be able to perform Olympic-level back bends, or splits, but we do need to be flexible enough to do what\’s needed in order to be able to ride.

For those into time-trialing, being able to tuck into an aero position, and hold it for a long time, is vital. I\’ve seen cyclists using those aero bars, which they say allows the most aerodynamic position. The downside is that, when you\’re riding on aero bars, your hands are far away from the brakes. Quite obviously this can be a problem should a sudden stop be necessary. Some events which draw large numbers of riders have banned aero bars for this reason.

A training schedule needs to have some flexibility in it, too. Have a hard workout planned, but you wake up with a sore throat and feeling sluggish? Skip those hard intervals until your symptoms have improved. If you have chest congestion or other \”below the neck\” symptoms, don\’t ride until those symptoms have cleared up.

In summary: we don\’t need to be able to twist ourselves into pretzel shapes; we do need to be limber enough to \”bend with the wind\”. In other words, don\’t be rigid.