Creative Visualization and Imagery, Part 5: Breath, Connection, and Pedal Stroke

The next installment of our creative cueing and imagery series highlights how to coach your riders to focus on their breath, to connect their breath with their pedal strokes, and to engage deeply with their cadence and pedal stroke dynamics. While these are exceptional for sub-threshold intensity cueing, such as endurance classes and segments of extended aerobic effort, they also put your riders into the right mental space to take on higher intensities. Additionally, these cues should also be in the quiver of anyone teaching longer rides of 90 minutes or more. They also help keep riders from being distracted in multi-hour charity events.

Connecting mind to body and breath to bike is a tool employed by elite cyclists and is something we can bring into our cycling studios. It is an essential element in discovering the state known as flow. These are the tricks that help athletes dispel negative thoughts such as doubt and fear, and lead them to success.

3 Comments

  1. Do you think this is a good class for a beginner? I am a new instructor and I have been riding for years but I think this could be a good idea for a beginner to get comfortable with the bike?

  2. I wonder if could use this for students comes in late no warm up.

  3. I love the article. Feel like Spinning with yoga and mediation. I am relaxing now away from stress.

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