Just because
you are in a fitness program don’t assume that the time and money you are investing is giving you the best results.
This may seem harsh but it is possible that your efforts to improve your fitness level may be actually diminishing
the results you want. IS your routine correcting bad posture or is it reinforcing it?
The latter is true if you are worn out and sore after your workouts.
The most effective fitness programs for
riders or any athlete looking for performance gains are those that re trains the body to work as it is designed. TRUE
FITNESS IS a body that is properly balanced and aligned and works with minimum amount of effort. What is key
to making fitness gains is selecting exercises that put you in correct postural alignment and the right exercise selection
for you. Injury history necessitates that an exercise be modified or changed. Does your
fitness trainer have the knowledge to do this? If not you are being set up for injury.
What type of program is best for riders?
To answer this, let's look at the skills that the best riders have.
They have supreme body
control at all gaits and positions. They must have suppleness which allows them to follow the motion of
the horse. They must also possess good posture and core stability when the horse is in motion combined with coordination and
balance while making split second decisions. Most traditional fitness programs focus on strength training. One
thing to think about, If the amount of muscular strength gives a rider an edge, then why do men and women
compete equally in equestrian sports? Sure riders need enough muscular strength to keep them on the horse,
but an emphasis on strength training alone leads to stiffness. The rider’s lack of flexibility leads to stiffness in
the joints and areas such as the low back. This lack of suppleness interferes with the rider following the motion of the horse.
A rider tends to muscle their horse rather than relying on their balance and finesse. A rider that is stiff creates
stiffness and resistance in their horse as well.
Rider fitness will improve exponentially with a program
that trains the rider to have better posture, core strength, flexibility while conditioning the nervous system to react quicker
with exercises that challenge balance and coordination.
EQUESTRIAN BALANCE
