Heidi Viles

As cyclists we’re told more is better…
And that being lighter will make you faster. You might get away with this approach in your 20s and 30s, but as you get older – the same approach will do you more harm than good.

In my experience, there is one movement pattern which when mastered will solve your aches and pains for good – THE HIP HINGE.

Endurance training – triathlon, cycling and now indoor rowing – has always been my passion. Until about 5 years ago I was ultra-competitive, results were all that mattered, I was self-critical, and my mentality was more is better. I wanted to progress at all costs…and I got away with it until 5 years ago when I broke (physically). My body couldn’t cope with the demands I placed on it.

The body repairs, grows and adapts in the time between training sessions when we rest, and continuous training will end up slowing you down, it will make you more susceptible to injuries, it will leave you feeling drained, low in mood, and it is unhealthy. .

My training was so inconsistent – I was flying and felt great one day, and the next I felt awful and totally empty. I knew I needed help. I realised I wasn’t eating enough to fuel my training and more importantly my recovery.

6 years ago I was so driven towards a training goal that I didn’t rest when I started to feel discomfort in my hip. My addiction to training got in the way of common sense. I ignored the warning signs, carried on training, and before I knew it a short term injury became a chronic long term one. I had also started to move differently to protect the injured joint – and was shifting the trauma to another part of my body – causing further damage. I was unable to ride properly for years. I compromised my long term health and performance by not taking a couple of months out to fix the problem.

They can rock us emotionally, taking away the activities we love, isolating us from our training buddies, and doing some serious damage to our self image. This is especially true as we get older and injuries seem to pop up with increasing frequency.

The 10 commandments of truly healthy lifestyle

Don’t make these 5 mistakes that I have made in the past…

Dawn was sceptical as she had been in pain for so long but showed courage and took a risk. She has had to work hard physically and mentally but is no longer being hindered by her body. It has taken time, patience and persistence – she has trusted the process – becoming aware of how she moves, correcting imbalances and weaknesses – and the results have been amazing!