GOOD for Your CORE ?

Have you heard this comment often (like I have), " Wow, that must be
GOOD FOR YOUR CORE ! " People see me on the uni and I get the above
comment a surprising number of times.

"Must Be Good For Your Core"



- Do you hear this too?
- Do you think uni is good for your core?




I suppose these spectators are thinking that unicyclists keep their
balance with their core, or mid-section, and build significant fitness
there. I'm not sure this is true. I kinda think most of our uni
balance comes through our feet, generated by leg muscles. I agree that
our core plays a role, but I view our mid-section as less involved with
balance than our legs and feet. (My perspective comes mostly via
riding my Coker and mostly touring along roads, and my core doesn't
seem to be getting super fit.)

What do you think?


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trailguy
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I ride bcs about 80% of the time and unis 20% of the time. With a BC
your abs get sore really freakin fast, your leg muscles are usless
unless your hopping, its all in the hip/mid section and arms.


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Evan Byrne

"Guns cause crime like flies cause garbage." -Harper
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They might mean that unicycling is good for your balance because your
center of gravity is around the middle of your body. So they think of
core, as your center of grvity maybe, And unicycling improves your
balance.


--
Dizard
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Having a strong 'core' or strong midsection muscles is very
fashionable/desirable these days according to some physiotherapists and
sporty people. I reckon unicycling does indeed help to develop your
core strength. A lot of the control in riding a unicycle comes from the
hips. I'm sure my abs have benefitted from unicycling!


--
TonyMelton

The way to a man's heart is through his veins.
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i know that the more trials i do the more my abs hurt. also, think back
to learning. unless you learned while you were young(under about 18 or
so) or learned really fast, your abs got sore. i know mine did. if i
take a week or two off for assorted reasons, my abs get a little tight
when i start riding again.


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markf

stuck in iowa and unemployed.
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Our balance clearly comes from normally riding and keeping the wheel
under us. It's a reaction thing, our bodies just get used to knowing
how fast to rotate the wheel to make sure the wheel is underneath us,
thus keeping us on it, balance from side to side is a tad different,
but a little momentum helps your greatly with that. When riding a BC
wheel or coasting it's a different story though.


--
Robbie

[image: http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums...-900/dr_z.gif]
Greeny23
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Uni is absolutely good for the "core". But like people above have said,
a nice smooth road ride on a big wheel takes a lot less core effort for
an obvious reason: It's way easier to balance riding in a straight
line with some speed on a bigger wheel.

To prove to yourself that your core is utilized greatly in uni, find
yourself a very restrictive lower back brace and try to ride with it
on. Then try to hop or turn sharply with it.


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JackOlsen
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I agree, the unicyclist core is working while riding. More so with
trials and muni, etc. Still, I would like to know where the majority
of our balance comes from.

Just riding the uni around:


- Are you balancing more with your legs & feet?
- Or are you balancing more with your core?



Thanks, Bill.


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trailguy
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JackOlsen wrote:
Uni is absolutely good for the "core". But like people above have said,
a nice smooth road ride on a big wheel takes a lot less core effort for
an obvious reason: It's way easier to balance riding in a straight
line with some speed on a bigger wheel.




But try idling a big wheel!


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tholub
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Hard Muniing over the rocks in Santa Barbara is a great ab workout,
especially when you try and roll everything. It's a lot of tightening
and relaxing over and over again. It's pumps the daylights out of all
of us. I used to get cramps in my upper abs after one of the long
shuttle rides--and still do if I haven't been busting it lately.
Overhanging rock climbing might be a bit more core intensive, but
Muniing is right there with it IME.

JL


--
vivalargo
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