Rider Fitness
Please see Alina Milan's fitness site
for further information on personal fitness. Your horse will love you for
it.
Maintaining a Good Seat
A good seat—this means sitting on a horse and maintaining good
balance. Good balance involves body awareness (inner focus), physical
conditioning and proper breathing techniques, all of which assist us in
remaining centered while riding. Not an easy task as most of us know. Since
riding is a sport of harmony between you and your horse—harmony within
yourself is where it must begin.
Why is Your Core Important?
Strong core muscles are essential to building and maintaining proper
body alignment and breath control. Core muscles are the large muscle
groups of the back, hips and pelvis. These muscles when conditioned
provide stability as we move. They are the building blocks which
allow you to move independently on and off your horse, help you
achieve a balanced seat and to apply the necessary aids required
for balanced riding.
Strong Core Muscles = Balance = Freedom
Exercises to help facilitate proper body alignment and core awareness:
Neutral Spine
Neutral spine is the natural position of the spine. It is present when all three curves of the spine – the cervical (neck), thoracic (middle) and lumbar (lower) – are in proper alignment. When sitting or standing, this is the strongest position for your spine.
Here’s how to find your neutral spine:
- Place your feet shoulder width apart. Do not lock your knees.
- Keep a small hollow in your low back. But avoid leaning or arching too far back, especially if you are standing for a long time. Your tail bone should remain slightly tucked down.
- Lift your chest and move your shoulder blades down. This should create a good distance from your hipbone to your rib cage.
- Keep your chin level. Relax your jaw and neck muscles. With the mouth closed, rest your tongue on the roof or your mouth.
- Breathe deeply. Breathe all the way into your body, allowing the air to move into your back and the sides of your rib cage, and all the way down to the pelvis.
Knowing how to sit in your neutral spine position is crucial for riding correctly. Soft Nickers can help you benefit from neutral spine – and improve you and your horse’s riding experience.
Kegel Exercises
Kegel (KAY-gul or KEY-gul) exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, helping you to sit in neutral spine and correct alignment on your horse. Following are some tips to perfect the Kegel technique:
- Identify your pelvic floor muscles and contract them.
- Hold the contraction for three seconds then relax for three seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Then gradually increase your contraction time alternating muscle contractions with a four-second rest period.
- Work up to contracting your pelvic floor muscles for 10, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
- Try not to hold your breath. Just relax, breathe freely and focus on tightening the pelvic floor muscles.
Contact us to find out how to gain from increased rider fitness.
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