“Nothing is left to chance.” How many times have we heard it said? How many times have we written it? Thousands perhaps… This time, however, we have experienced it firsthand. And we did it with Emanuele Cosentino, osteopath of the Bardiani Csf Faizanè which from next year will be Green Project-Bardiani CSF.
During the days of the "green boys" retreat at Cicalino, in Tuscany, We also attended a group session, in which postural exercises were performed. Posture: therefore the spine, but also the diaphragm, the most important respiratory muscle.
Emanuele, what were the boys doing when they were all together with the mats in the great room?
They were doing stretching on joint mobility, since they are professionals we must take care of them 360°. You need to pay attention not only to nutrition and cycling preparation, but also to joint, motor, and muscle elasticity. Unfortunately, some riders still haven't this mentality of the stretching. I would like to give them, especially since many are young, this culture of postural well-being. Let it be a foundation for their career.
What is this type of stretching for?
It is a path that helps to avoid contractures or future problems during the most important moments of the season. When athletes end up in the hands of masseurs and they're not feeling well, they have a harder time massaging them. And in the long run, this can lead to deeper problems.
How are you working with your kids?
During the retreat, we take the opportunity to start from the ground up. We evaluate the kids from the moment they leave: where there's room for improvement or where we've managed to improve. My role is to help them find good posture. Not on the bike, that's the "territory" of biomechanics, but to have good posture off the bike during the day.
We saw you were using an app. Smartphones displayed a sort of "Vitruvian Man" with lots of information around it. What was it?
This app gives me the ability to be much more precise. It's an athlete screening. And I can immediately understand what problems do they have, the joint manipulations or thrusts that we always do as osteopaths or massage therapists that they need.
Excuse us, what are thrusts?
Thrusts are those manipulations that create that sound, that "crack," between the bones, between the spine and the neck. There are several steps that aren't just bony, to put it simply, but also involve the viscera, the craniosacral system... This App helps me pinpoint problems. It speeds up my work with athletes. It tells me where they are and how they're progressing after treatments and exercises.
What were the exercises we saw them do when they were all together about?
Ad open the chest, Since riders are always locked into the handlebars, it also helps solve wrist issues, where most of the weight is placed. Through stretching exercises we also try to alleviate back pain: from the cervical area to the lumbar area, up to the glutes… There are many things that, when put together, lead to team success.
What are the cyclist's key points where most pathologies, if we can call them that, arise?
I wrists are one of these points. Sometimes this pain is caused by an incorrect position on the bike. The weight is already heavy, but it's increased. There's a risk that their fingers might fall asleep. Or their shoulders are too arched, resulting in a severe neck curvature that can cause problems with the cervical spine or shoulder blades. Another pain that often emerges is that in the knees. Or in the lumbar region, So the iliopsoas: the pelvis could be retroverted. I need to straighten them and give them a chance to improve.
Knee pain is becoming more and more prevalent during this period…
Exact. It's not just about the efforts, but also about the new materialsMaybe they changed shoes. Shoes and bike. They revised the position of the cleats. I have to get them to the first race at 100%.
And do they have to do these exercises at home too?
The ideal would be to do low-impact gymnastics as soon as you wake up. A really light workout, with soft movements to immediately wake up the muscles in preparation for a good breakfast and a good workout. And then they should be done again in the evening or before going to bed. In this case, it's very important to practice good diaphragmatic breathing. I'm emphasizing this point a lot, because the diaphragm is key to posture and back problems. So, through diaphragmatic breathing, you can also go to bed more peacefully, because the diaphragm acts as a sort of "control center" and releases the tension that builds up during the day. Stress often leads to it becoming blocked. And this blockage also leads to difficulties when cycling.
Guy?
Shortness of breath, lactic acid builds up much sooner… It's a stress that is essential to avoid. And it can be avoided. not only with manipulation, but also through meditation exercises: for example, sitting with your legs in a butterfly pose, closing your eyes and breathing with your diaphragm.
What are some exercises for unlocking the diaphragm besides sitting in the butterfly pose?
The simplest exercise is lie down with one hand on your belly and push your belly button up. The goal is to inhale, taking in all the air, bringing your navel toward the sky while keeping your shoulders firmly on the ground. You shouldn't inflate your chest, just your belly, your abdomen. And then you exhale. This movement helps to lower the diaphragmThis also massages the pit of the stomach. If a person is constipated, breathing with the diaphragm facilitates the evacuation of stool. Not only that, It helps the heart relax: the heartbeat efficiency increases. The lungs descend, expand better, and oxygenation increases. Then there are also higher-level exercises, in which both the diaphragm and the lungs are inflated, but they are more complex and 70% of athletes, not just cyclists, don't know how to do them.
