Exercises for dodgy left leg (mine not horses!)

ann-jen

ann-jen

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 December 2004
Messages
3,601
Location
co durham
Visit site
I decided today as we are spending the next 6 mths hacking that I should try and work on my position while we are plodding out. One of my worst faults is that while my right leg will sit in the correct position, my left leg tends to sit further forward and my toe stick outwards. I made a concerted effort to keep that leg back and the toe forward on our hack today but it actually hurt quite a lot!
blush.gif
I wonder if the problem is more the way I'm actually sitting that is making my leg stick out in this odd way! Or whether its actually just me having a bizarre leg
blush.gif
blush.gif
because I've been swimming this afternoon and I realised when doing breaststroke that my right leg moves properly and my left leg kind of does its own thing!
Any ideas how I can improve my left leg position without crippling myself
tongue.gif
 
there is a book on excercises to improve position and fitness, one of those thin books, ( can't think of the name, you maybe able to find it on amazon. ). sorry not much help.
 
There is a book called 'Ride With Your Mind' by Mary Wanless that contains some off-horse exercises to do. Most involve a blow up gym ball.

My baby loves to be held while I sit and bounce on our gym ball so I have been doing it for an hour + daily for the last few months. The difference in the security of my seat has been staggering so I think that book may be worth a fresh look!
 
Haha - maybe I need the backman to come and straighten me out!
I will have a look for some good books to read - I did have the Mary Wanless one but one of the dogs decided to eat it when they were pups and so I didn't get much further than the first chapter!
blush.gif

Maybe I should get another copy and hide it in a dogproof location. The gym ball is a good idea though and something I'd already been contemplating anyway. Would it be something I could sit on whilst watching telly on a nighttime or would I need to concentrate on not toppling off it too much for that?
 
I'm always bouncing on the gym ball watching tv! You just need one the right size so your feet meet the ground!

My husband never sits on the sofa, only the ball, as he has a bad back and it helps!
 
Cool I will definitely give it a try because I have appalling posture at the best of times so it might help that too. Can you just get them from a sports shop?
 
i used to sit on a gym ball at work in the office instead of a chair. i swear it also helps those tummy muscles as well as posture.
 
My 9 yr old daughter has the same problem as you (I think) and she has been to the osteopath but it turns out she is actually crooked through her pelvis (from bad birth) and although this isn't going to change he did give her some exercises to do which would help to even out her muscles - the main one being to lie on her back, legs straight out on the ground, then bend one leg right up at the knee and then holding the knee with both hands to bring the leg back to her chest and then pull it over to the opposite shoulder whilst trying to keep the pelvis in contact with the floor. She finds is quite painful and we don't do it often enough but I do think it has helped. Maybe it would help you too.... just a thought! Good luck with it. x
 
Thanks - I will definitely give that a try - although the dogs will probably think I'm nuts and jump on me - mind I think the idea of a large inflatable ball might have a funny effect on them too.
tongue.gif
 
Might be worth going to physio or similar - my friend and my instructor have both been recently for various aches and pains and can't believe the difference in their riding - I'm going as soon as I have the cash!
 
I'm beginning to wonder if that might be a good idea - I wouldn't hesitate to get Jenny checked so why not myself.
tongue.gif

I think I might wait until I'm going to start doing a bit more with Jen first though so we can both start up again together.
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top