Riding exercises
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Asphaltcowgirlx
Posts: 34
Here is where any and all exercises that specifically benefit horseback riding are. Feel free to share your favorites or just get some good ideas!
When astride a horse, the human body is stabilized to a considerable degree by its transverse abdominal muscles. These are the deepest layers of muscle, and they encase the entire midsection. Unlike the five other muscle types in the ab family, the transverses do not respond to the usual sit-ups and crunch work. What gets their attention are exercises involving the legs, hips, and deeper stimulation of the abdominal core.
ELBOWS AND TOES
Lie on your back with your elbows placed beneath the shoulders. Place your toes on the floor with your legs apart by the width of your hips. With your back straight, raise your body from the floor while pulling your navel inside. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing while keeping your back straight and parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position, then relax. Do 3 to 5 repetitions.
LEG RAISERS
Lie on the floor. Place your hands beneath your buttocks while pressing your back to the floor. Raise one leg 10 inches, then slowly return it to the floor. Raise and lower your other leg the same way. Set your goal at three sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
RAISING THE PELVIS
Lie down and press your back to the floor. Bend your knees while keeping your feet planted on the floor. Slowly raise your pelvis, hold briefly at its peak, then slowly lower it back to the floor. Keep upper body stationary throughout. Seek three sets of 15 repetitions.
FROM HANDS AND KNEES
Assume hands-and-knees position on the floor with hands apart the width of your shoulders. Your elbows should be slightly bent. Your knees are touching and slightly behind you, with your toes curled against the floor. Draw in your navel to tighten your abs, and in a smooth controlled motion, raise your knees from the floor. Your upper body remains stationary. Hold this position for 20 seconds (make 60 your goal), then slowly return your knees to the floor. Seek to repeat three sets of 10 repetitions.
These were taking from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/100033-abdominal-exercises-horse-riders/
When astride a horse, the human body is stabilized to a considerable degree by its transverse abdominal muscles. These are the deepest layers of muscle, and they encase the entire midsection. Unlike the five other muscle types in the ab family, the transverses do not respond to the usual sit-ups and crunch work. What gets their attention are exercises involving the legs, hips, and deeper stimulation of the abdominal core.
ELBOWS AND TOES
Lie on your back with your elbows placed beneath the shoulders. Place your toes on the floor with your legs apart by the width of your hips. With your back straight, raise your body from the floor while pulling your navel inside. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing while keeping your back straight and parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position, then relax. Do 3 to 5 repetitions.
LEG RAISERS
Lie on the floor. Place your hands beneath your buttocks while pressing your back to the floor. Raise one leg 10 inches, then slowly return it to the floor. Raise and lower your other leg the same way. Set your goal at three sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
RAISING THE PELVIS
Lie down and press your back to the floor. Bend your knees while keeping your feet planted on the floor. Slowly raise your pelvis, hold briefly at its peak, then slowly lower it back to the floor. Keep upper body stationary throughout. Seek three sets of 15 repetitions.
FROM HANDS AND KNEES
Assume hands-and-knees position on the floor with hands apart the width of your shoulders. Your elbows should be slightly bent. Your knees are touching and slightly behind you, with your toes curled against the floor. Draw in your navel to tighten your abs, and in a smooth controlled motion, raise your knees from the floor. Your upper body remains stationary. Hold this position for 20 seconds (make 60 your goal), then slowly return your knees to the floor. Seek to repeat three sets of 10 repetitions.
These were taking from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/100033-abdominal-exercises-horse-riders/
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BEACH BALL
Use any rubber or plastic ball as long as it is at least a foot in diameter. Sit on a hard chair that allows your knees to sit at right angles to the floor. Scoot to the edge of the chair so that your thighs are completely off of it, and place the beach ball between your knees. Squeeze the beach ball between your knees, hold for fifteen seconds, and then release. Do this a few times a day until 15 becomes easy, then increase to 20, then 30, and so on.
This is a great way to increase your ability to hang on to your horse with your thighs. It increases the inner thigh muscles. You can also go to the gym and use what is called the "hip abductor" machine. Many equestrians who have had to take time off have noted that when they regularly use the hip abductor machine before getting back on a horse, they are more likely to feel fit and avoid the pain in the inner thighs when one gets back on a horse after a long time off.0 -
Achilles tendon stretch - stand on the edge of a step with your heels hanging off, slowly lower your heels feeling a nice stretch in your calves and Achilles tendon, hold for 10 seconds and repeat three times. Hang onto a hand rail or door frame until you can balance yourself.
This will help you keep your heels down in the stirrups and prevent injury during posting.
With or without ankle weights stand on one leg and do thigh adduction and abduction. Concentrate your weight on the inner part of your foot and do not lock your knee, you may need to hold onto a chair to start with. Do three sets of ten and build to three sets of fifteen before adding weight.
Medicine ball crunches, three sets of fifteen. Good for balance and core.
For a great overall program check out "The Rider Fitness Program". It can be started with bands and a couple of dumbbells and you can preview the book on Amazon.0 -
A past trainer we had used to have us do step ups on the panels. Start from standing and step up on the lowest rung and down, alternate, 10 times each side. When that's easier start moving up the rungs. It's to help strengthen the muscles and legs to make it easier to mount.
Another exercise that I make the kids do and have been working on myself is the balance exercises while mounted. My boys learned these when they were little at pony lessons. While walking circles on your horse in the arena or round pen lift both arms up and out, parallel to the ground, hold as long as possible, relax, and praise your horse. Next reach as far forward toward the horse's ears and hold, you can do one arm at a time for this, relax and praise your horse. Finally reach as far back and touch the horse's butt, one arm at a time, hold, and then relax and praise! These help strengthen your core, strengthen your legs, better your balance, better your seat, and increase your flexibility. Plus they help you and your partner become trust each other better and feel each other's cues better. My boys do these while walking under saddle and my oldest will do these at the trot. I also make them get on bareback on a longe line at the walk and trot. I don't quite trust them to longe me yet though so I only do these at a walk so far!0 -
I love the posting without stirrups and holding your arms parallel to the ground exercise...NOT REALLY But it works everything.0
