The Bike and Body Connection
If your hips are rocking in the saddle, your body may be signaling that something’s off. That side-to-side sway can look playful, but it often means your pelvis isn’t stable—using more energy and sometimes leading to pain or injury. The good news? With a stronger, more balanced core, you can steady the ride, ease discomfort, and even improve efficiency on climbs and long days in the saddle. Tanya Tracy breaks down what’s happening when the pelvis tips and offers simple exercises to help cyclists stay strong, supported, and pain-free.
If These Hips Are A-Rockin’...
…Then something is amiss. The socket of the hip joint is located in the pelvis. If the hips appear to be moving up and down, it generally means the pelvis is too.
The pelvis is the bottom of the “core” of the human body. It’s meant to be a stable base from which the legs move. Too much movement in the pelvis can lead to injuries and use more energy.
The following are a few factors causing this teeter tottering pelvis:
Saddle is too high (or too low, though less common)
Low core muscle strength or stability
Weakness of gluteal (buttock) or hamstrings (back of thigh) muscles
Improper pedaling technique
Injury or tightness of the hip or knee joint
Pelvic imbalance
Each of the factors above is a whole discussion in itself. We’re focusing on core muscle strength and stability for this newsletter.
This magical beast, the “core”, can be thought of as a box. The top of the box is the diaphragm muscle, nestled like a trampoline at the bottom of the rib cage. The sides of the core are the oblique abdominal muscles. The back of the core is lots of deep, small spinal muscles, named multifidi. The front of the core is the most famous and well known muscle, transverse abdominus (AKA lower abdominals). Lastly, the base of the whole thing is the pelvic floor muscles — another trampoline between the bones we sit on and the pubic bones and the reason we don’t pee ourselves (hopefully).
Muscles of the core need to function together in balance to create a stable, central place for the arms and legs to move independently of. As we breathe in, the diaphragm expands down and out, the oblique muscles and ribs expand outward, and the pelvic floor muscles relax and lengthen down to catch the pressure increase of the abdominal area. On the exhale, the pelvic floor muscles draw in and upward as the oblique muscles and ribs return inward. Core muscles are generally acting in a low tension, casual way, like a long social ride.
Using muscles in a controlled situation, such as your living floor, teaches the body the proper strategy to use so it becomes automatic in uncontrolled situations, such as pedaling up that long climb with roots.
The series below is great for cyclists; it includes arm and leg involvement needed for biking. Even if you’ve done these exercises before, read closely. The small details of these exercises is the real value.
Belly Hugs
Place hands and knees on the ground directly under shoulders and hip joints. Think of a line pulling in opposite directions from the top of the head and the tailbone. Without changing the back/spine position, inhale to allow the stomach to relax. Imagine you have a belly full of puppies or kittens (weird, I know). Exhale like you are blowing up a balloon while tightening the lower abdominal muscles. Imagine you are gently hugging (not squashing) and holding those cute furry animals with these muscles. Repeat the cycle for 2 minutes. Keep your back still the entire time. CHALLENGE: Add a slight lift of the knees off the floor during the exhale.
Planks
Start in the hands and knee position and gently tighten the lower abdominal muscles just as you did during belly hugs. Slide one foot back until the leg is straight, and then do the same for the other foot. OPTIONAL: This can be done from the knees or fists for more ease or less tension.
In the plank position, the back should neither sag or arch upward. The hips stay in line with the shoulders and the ears. No low back tension should be felt as this indicates the abdominal muscles are not properly active. The arms are gently “pushing the floor away” and the back of the neck is long. Hold as tolerated or until just before form fails.
Plank with Leg Movement
Start in the plank position as above. On an exhale, bend one hip and knee to slide the foot forward. Inhale as you slide the foot back to the starting position. Continue with sliding alternating legs. IMPORTANT: Keep the pelvis and low back level (no sagging down on one side), keep the torso straight (no side bending/crunching), and distribute weight evenly among the three non-moving extremities.
These are just a few exercises that address core strength and stability. What works for one person may not be the thing for another. If this feels simple, read through again to make sure your brilliant body wasn’t secretly using other muscles to compensate…Or congratulations! Your core needs more challenge or is a badass already!
Either way, next time you feel the pelvis rocking in the saddle or your low back aching on an uphill, try to find that gentle hug of the lower abdominal muscle, helping you up that hill.