Stretching for the Edge - Mike Taylor

From the moment I started trials unicycling back in 2007 I had no clue about stretching and how it could be used to progress within my sport. After starting to compete professionally in 2009 I began to realise that my dream was to become one of the best unicyclists in the world and In 2011 I achieved my first sponsorship with Impact unicycles and all was going perfectly! Then at the end of 2012 when I was at my peak performance I had a bad lower back injury and was out of action for a whole 8 months. After the initial back injury healed it would always come back to haunt me, mainly when I’d not stretch after long periods of time. By the end of 2016 I made myself have regular stretching sessions to really try and prevent my injuries coming back. The improvements that came from this were massive on many levels.

Consistent stretching improved nearly all aspects of my riding. Trials unicycling consists of a lot of body position changes and quick reactions as the rider jumps and drops from one object to another. From my stretching progress I felt my body moving so much easier with less pain in my joints and different posıtıons becoming a lot easier for my body to handle and adapt to. I could tuck lower on my unicycle and my riding style became more fluid and dialed.

Holding yoga poses and stretching is also helping my general balance, although it was good already, the extra movement and flexibility has further improved my balance on and off of the unicycle. Stretching has allowed my muscles to go for longer periods of time without becoming tired or going into spasm. It’s all thanks to a daıly stretch of about 20 - 30 mıns.

Yoga can help anyone. Whether it be wıth mental or physical activities or both, stretching your body and focusing on movement in the moment can make you achieve super perception over your body. This is perfect for physical sports like unicycling where a lot of body parts are moving in conjunction with a lot of thoughts being calculated. When I became more in control of thıs I was able to achieve greater heights and felt like my body was keeping up wıth my brain and that felt good! Your body can achieve your goals if you give it a little help in return.

Now, After 11 years of ridıng a unicycle and only 3 of those years looking after my body properly, I can really recommend stretching and yoga trainıng to anyone. Whether you’re looking for an edge over your competitors or just in day to day activities, yoga will always be positive even though it doesn't feel like it for a start. It will come and you will excel!