Core strength exercises

[Ceifer]

For a variety of reasons I’ve not ridden much/properly in the last 6 months.
I’ve recently restarted and found my fitness sorely lacking. I’ve started running/doing cardio (rowing, boxing) but I’m really struggling with core strength and suppleness through my lower back.
In an ideal world 1000 hours of no stirrups and lunge lessons would fix the problem but the horse I’m riding probably is a bit sharp to tackle no stirrups and the only place that does lunge lessons is £85 an hour ?.
What could I do to improve core strength? I’ve done Pilates in the past, just local classes and one rider Pilates course, and whilst enjoyable and did help my suppleness, didn’t do much for my core. Although I’m aware once a week probably isn’t enough. Are weighted workouts the way to go?

 

[oldie48]

I had over a year off due to illness then horse going lame. At 73 I lose strength and tone very quickly and it can be difficult to rebuild but I have got my core strength back doing pilates. I go to a trained physio who also rides and she's brilliant as she does lots of work on core, body awareness and balance. I think pilates instructors are like riding instructors, they all vary in terms of quality. I'd done loads of pilates in the past but no-one had noticed that I was not using my ribs correctly so instead of strengthening my core I was potentially injuring my back. Sorry can't comment on weighted workouts.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Are you working out regularly (without weights?). I personally wouldn’t jump into weight training without body weight training first.
I feel like to get the full benefit from Pilates/yoga and the like you’d need to be aiming for doing it 3 times a week (or more, just make sure you rest when you need to!)
There’s loads of fitness videos (ab specific and not) on YouTube you could look at/follow too

 

[Velcrobum]

Another vote for physio led Pilates. My core has gone from very poor to vastly stronger we do a lot of core work in the classes!!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Can anyone recommend good you tube classes?
I’m wanting to do something too pretty desperately!

 

[ITPersonnage]

There's some good youtube workouts here from our trusty NHS

 

[anguscat]

Google ‘Dressage Rider Training’. A training programme that has 4 levels. Each level 12 weeks. Each week get three approx 20-30 min workouts: core, strength and yoga/balance. You can join 3 times a year. You can pay a bit extra and get the programme on a usb stick so you can do as and when and revisit the workouts. I go through DRT level 1 over and over dipping in and out (life can get in the way). Also great Facebook online community of people mostly all struggling with issues exactly as you describe.

 

[poiuytrewq]

There's some good youtube workouts here from our trusty NHS

Fab thanks

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm finding the Rider Pilates Club to be very helpful. I posted this thread about her free pre ride stretches.

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/pre-ride-pilates-stretches.816317/

I've since paid to access her further paid for classes. It definitely helps a lot. You do the exercises in your own time. About £49 for a six week course, involving 12 c 25 minute videos.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Perfect, that sounds great. I’ll have a look after work

 

[McGrools]

Yoga! I have a home dvd that has a 15 minutes of core power section and it is a total game changer! Lots of plank! ??

 

[BBP]

I’m also coming back to fitness after a long period of illness. I have started to do daily yoga (with Adrienne on YouTube), these take around 20-30mins but she has shorter ones. I also do a 10min ‘kari Pearce power abs’ program daily which is phenomenal for core strength as it varies each day and has a lot of levels for different abilities (6 pack is on its way back!). And I have just started doing the hyperbolic stretching program. Once I gain better mobility I’ll add in more weight training as it’s all body weight right now.
My other tip is just to be conscious of your core throughout your daily life, are you stood slouched in the queue at the shop or are your drawing up, engaging your core and being ‘active’. Are you engaging and being conscious of how you move when poo picking etc? That daily awareness and engagement will do more than 10mins of structured exercise.

 

[Skib]

OH and I did Joe Wicks workouts which were free on line during lock down and arre still available. He suggests cans of beans or small water bottles as weights when needed.
We did the ones for seniors and then moved on to the lowest level but getting up off the floor quickly was too much for OH and we stopped.
When I resumed riding after a year locked down, my main problem was my ankles bending over, so I did the NHS ankle exercises with some resistance bands.

 

[AntiPuck]

I'm finding the Rider Pilates Club to be very helpful. I posted this thread about her free pre ride stretches.

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/pre-ride-pilates-stretches.816317/

I've since paid to access her further paid for classes. It definitely helps a lot. You do the exercises in your own time. About £49 for a six week course, involving 12 c 25 minute videos.

I love that she made a point to highlight that it's all standing and doable in a coat, those were immediately the first two objections that my predictable brain went to!

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Skib]

Has anyone noticed it works the other way too? I can step onto and off a kitchen chair to reach something from an upper shelf. Balance is no problem after mounting a horse

 

[Lady Tinseltime]

I love that she made a point to highlight that it's all standing and doable in a coat, those were immediately the first two objections that my predictable brain went to!

Thanks for posting this.

Good to know. I have wondered about these classes and whether they would be any good for an old crock like me

 

[Ceifer]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I’ll definitely have another go at Pilates.

 

[Burnttoast]

Particularly for anyone with a mostly sitting-down job don't forget the importance of the glutes and hip stabilisers for supporting your core and taking the strain off your back.

 

[pooperscooper]

Oh this thread is great, thank you for posting it! After years of bad health, my muscles are just... not there, so these things will definitely help.
Do you guys have any good exercises for the lower back, too? I have scoliosis so one side is stronger than the other and I just have no idea how to level it. It seems that most of the exercises I do (Yoga and dance based) are felt in the upper back which is very weak, but not so much in the lower back.

 

[Firefly23]

Loads of squats and holding in chair position always works well for me after I have a baby. Otherwise riding at a walk and gradually building up. Yoga. Swimming.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Google ‘Dressage Rider Training’. A training programme that has 4 levels. Each level 12 weeks. Each week get three approx 20-30 min workouts: core, strength and yoga/balance. You can join 3 times a year. You can pay a bit extra and get the programme on a usb stick so you can do as and when and revisit the workouts. I go through DRT level 1 over and over dipping in and out (life can get in the way). Also great Facebook online community of people mostly all struggling with issues exactly as you describe.

If you look for dressage rider training on YouTube she has about 10 yoga videos on there, all free. She really got me into yoga, she explains each movement well and I've noticed a huge difference in my posture, on and off the horse. I have now started doing Yoga with Adriene which is great but not rider specific

 

[AntiPuck]

Oh this thread is great, thank you for posting it! After years of bad health, my muscles are just... not there, so these things will definitely help.
Do you guys have any good exercises for the lower back, too? I have scoliosis so one side is stronger than the other and I just have no idea how to level it. It seems that most of the exercises I do (Yoga and dance based) are felt in the upper back which is very weak, but not so much in the lower back.

My issue is different to yours, I have sciatica and nerve damage on one side after a lower back injury, but it results in being stronger on one side, as you've said you are - I've been using the Activate your Seat programme a few times per week and it's made a big difference, as some back issues are actually weak posterior chain issues.

She's quite responsive to messages, so might be worth contacting her to see if the programme would be suitable/helpful for you or not.

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

I do morning and evening yoga and running/hiking aswell as ground work with my horse honestly the yoga YouTube classes are a amazing way to start at end the day they take ten minutes and ground work is great for building a bond and getting you both fit and in tune with each other I love it!

 

[sbloom]

So many programmes will build strength into asymmetry rather than decreasing asymmetry. I highly recommend Rider Reboot for this reason, not only will he look at "instrinsic" ie internal biomechanics, but also makes sure your optical and vestibular systems, plus proprioception, are feeding the right messages to your brain so that the body works correctly from the very fundamentals.

 

[Meredith]

So many programmes will build strength into asymmetry rather than decreasing asymmetry. I highly recommend Rider Reboot for this reason, not only will he look at "instrinsic" ie internal biomechanics, but also makes sure your optical and vestibular systems, plus proprioception, are feeding the right messages to your brain so that the body works correctly from the very fundamentals.

Sorry @sbloom I ‘ve been following this thread in the hope of finding what to do. I have back pain and ride lopsided. However I need a translation for this.

 

[SpotsandBays]

If you look for dressage rider training on YouTube she has about 10 yoga videos on there, all free. She really got me into yoga, she explains each movement well and I've noticed a huge difference in my posture, on and off the horse. I have now started doing Yoga with Adriene which is great but not rider specific

I love the yoga with Adrienne videos!

 

[sbloom]

Sorry @sbloom I ‘ve been following this thread in the hope of finding what to do. I have back pain and ride lopsided. However I need a translation for this.

Apologies. We all have asymmetry and we compensate for that asymmetry. Just as with horses it's the asymmetry AND the compensatory patterns that cause most of our issues.

Attending classes usually means we strengthen IN the asymmetry, we don't become functionally straighter. Much better to start with an assessment that looks at intrinsic (ie inside each joint, not just how much it looks like it moves, or how much you report that it hurts) biomechanics, proprioception (your body needs to know where it is in space, on the floor, in the stirrups, to know how and where to move), optical systems (how well you use your eyes, not like an optician test) and vestibular systems (inner ear, balance). If we just work on our muscles, "symmetrically", then we just ingrain that asymmetry. Classes absolutely have their place, but individual assessments by someone that looks at all these aspects is a gamechanger.

Ali Wakelin is effectively the number two to Mary Wanless. Her riding has been transformed by her work with RR, she found out she can't take her eyes as far left as she can to the right and has been slightly compensating her whole life. Working on her eyes has transformed her riding, she's posted about it publicly on FB.

 

[Meredith]

Apologies. We all have asymmetry and we compensate for that asymmetry. Attending classes usually means we strengthen IN the asymmetry, that we don't become functionally straighter. Much better to start with an assessment that looks at intrinsic (ie inside each joint, not just how much it looks like it moves, or how much you report that it hurts) biomechanics, proprioception (your body needs to know where it is in space, on the floor, in the stirrups, to know how to move), optical systems (how well you use your eyes, not like an optician test) and vestibular systems (inner ear, balance). If we just work on our muscles, "symmetrically", then we just ingrain that asymmetry. Classes absolutely have their place, but individual assessments by someone that looks at all these aspects is a gamechanger.

Thank you.
That explains a lot. My balance is not great, inner ear I guess as I am always travel sick. I have left side lower back pain from horse accident 20 years ago, doctors only prescribed painkillers, and my body spatial awareness is poor. It was only recently that I realised I had been leaning forward for all my riding life. I thought I was vertical!
Now I suppose I need to decide which of private medical help or rider biomechanics help I need to address first.

Apologies OP for part hijacking the thread

 

[sbloom]

Thank you.
That explains a lot. My balance is not great, inner ear I guess as I am always travel sick. I have left side lower back pain from horse accident 20 years ago, doctors only prescribed painkillers, and my body spatial awareness is poor. It was only recently that I realised I had been leaning forward for all my riding life. I thought I was vertical!
Now I suppose I need to decide which of private medical help or rider biomechanics help I need to address first.

Apologies OP for part hijacking the thread

The approach I talked about looks at both, screens for both, and refers you on if you need medical help. You don't have to choose between, you can be advised as to where best to start by an expert. You'll find more info here https://www.theneuromechanicsacademy.com/workshops and the group is here https://www.facebook.com/groups/507725203764342.