DECEMBER 2021 THE RIDER /39


Fitness for Riders: Better Balance Better Back


trol of your shoulders, try this series of exercises for about 15 minutes per day:


By Dr. Heather Sansom Last month’s article looked at ex-


ercises you can use to strengthen your lower back, mostly related to reducing back pain and improving the strength of your aids. This month, we’re staying with the lower back, but shifting our focus more generally to the mid-section for the rider who loses her balance in the upper body. Partly, core work is a foun- dation for rider fitness for any level or discipline of riding. Partly, my inspira- tion for newsletters comes from recent issues I work on with clients. If you have found yourself trying


to keep your weight and shoulders back in the saddle, only to have them pitch forward in transitions, this month’s newsletter is for you. It’s also for you if you would like a short and sweet, super- stacked core routine to stabilize your spine and provide stamina. When shoulders pitch forward (es-


pecially in transitions or obstacle take- off/landing), it can often be the result of placing them behind the horse’s motion in the first place, or slightly behind your centre of gravity. The range of motion for shoulders in a balanced rider, is not very wide. Some riders mistake this ap- pearance of stillness for holding a posi- tion, when actually, the ‘quiet’ rider is softly absorbing the horse’s motion with little movements in the spine, while staying over their centre, and their horse’s centre of gravity. To keep your- self aligned and your torso more in con-


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1. Crunch on the floor in a static hold with a ball reach, 15x3 2. Crunch on the floor in a static hold with leg raises, 15x3 3. Bridge on floor with feet on ball, holding for 30 seconds x 3 The basic position for each of these


exercises starts with lying on your exer- cise surface, on your back with knees bent. The first two involve lifting your shoulders and head off the ground, as if you were aiming to poke your chin be- tween your legs.


Crunch on Floor with Ball Reach While holding the raised position,


the first exercise involves raising your arms (preferably holding something like an exercise ball) up above you, then reaching them back until they are just behind your ears, still straight. As you move your arms back, you will feel in- creased pressure to stop holding your torso position as the weight puts more ‘load’ on your abdominals. Your lower back will be hard at work as well, resist- ing rising off the floor. The following link shows a dynamic version of this ex- ercise without an object. You can do the same moves with your arms, while keeping your body in the crunched po- sition rather than moving your torso up and


down with each rep.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od 60lK7lBCo


Crunch on Floor with Legs Raise Your basic starting position for this


exercise is the same, however instead of reaching your arms up holding an ob- ject, you reach them past your hips, hov- ering them a few inches off the floor. If


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you have done Pilates, you will recog- nize this basic position. Next, straighten your legs into the air on roughly a 45 de- gree angle to the floor, raising and low- ering them from that point by a few inches. The full range of motion (mov- ing legs close to the floor) shown in this video is very advanced. Use a range of motion that ensures your lower back feels comfortable, without strain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD THmCB-Kf4


Bridge with Feet on Ball After adopting the neutral resting


starting position, place your calves on an exercise ball. Next, lift your hips off the floor concentrating on tucking your pelvis under and engaging your abdom- inals. You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by bending your knees and rolling the ball in and out with your calves. The exercise video shows repe- titions without a pause. You can practice holding the position for longer counts (up to 30) for increased stamina.


h t t p s : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c om/ watch?v=EILvi7A5paE Safe and Happy Training !


© Heather R. Sansom, PhD. www.equifitt.com


Leading Equestrian Fitness since 2007. Fitness & Biomechanics Specialist. Personal fitness. Riding instruction. Clinics. Mindset coaching. Books Online Coaching Available online almost anywhere


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