She is quite strong, and does not weigh very much, so every time we hit even the slightest hill, she flew up as if powered by an engine.  After five or six of these rises, she began to notice this, too.   She relished the feeling of passing other riders, which made her attack the hills even harder.  This was great fun for a while, but after the rest stop, she was pretty much done - a fact she made sure that was not lost on me.  Any mother can recognize an eye roll a mile away, even beneath a helmet and sunglasses.

 

Between all the eye rolls, I could tell that she was proud of herself.  She complained openly, but she proudly wore her green shirt to school the next day.   She doesn't even like green!

 

My teenage daughter's world expanded on Sept 21.  She discovered she really can ride 25 miles.  She learned that domestic violence exists, right here in our community.  And she saw that women can do great things when they work together.  

 

Thank you, Cycle the WAVE, for giving my daughter an opportunity to learn something valuable about herself and the world around her.

 

Squats strengthen the quads and gluteus maximus.  One leg squats also target one of the weakest links in the pelvic-core unit, the gluteus medius.  Cyclists with weak gluteus medius muscles will rock more in the saddle which diminishes power and increases the chance of chronic IT band issues, low back pain, and/or knee pain.  So strengthening these muscles will provide more pelvic stability and promote better bike posture. 

 

To understand where this muscle is located, sit on the edge of your chair.  Slide your fingers straight down from your right armpit to the fleshy part of your hip/butt, about 1 - 2 inches from the chair.  That's the gluteus medius.  To feel it work, keep your left foot firmly planted under your left knee, lift your right foot off the floor slightly and slowly swing the right leg open.  If you don't feel it, try pushing against the outside of the right knee for resistance.

 

The other major benefit of one leg squats is keeping your balance by using your core, upper body, and even the tiny muscles in your ankles and feet.  It's a full body exercise!

 

Ideally, achieve a 90-degree bend in the knee before returning to standing position.  You will probably have to work up to that depth.  Do not let the non-working leg touch the bench or other leg.  As always, abs are contracted throughout.  Suck 'em in girls!

 

As with any challenging balance-oriented exercise, it's easy to cheat (unintentionally of course) so take the time to go through all of the form checks listed above.  You can practice balancing on one foot throughout the day - while brushing your teeth, standing in line, or reading your Cycle the WAVE newsletter!