Impoving posture (of the rider!)

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Walrus

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I am really struggling with my posture when riding at the moment. I have always looked down since I was a child so it's a very long term bad habit! I have also realised that I hunch my shoulders and end up tipping forwards. I'm a tall person on a short native pony so physics isn't helping either.

I had a session with a pilates instructor last week and she identified that I am very tight in my upper back (base of the neck) - since then I've been more aware of my posture and realised a lot of it comes from sitting at a desk -I hunch over my desk and stick my neck out and end up with a painful, stiff back and neck.

I've also realised that everyone shouting at me to sit up / look up doesn't really work as unless it's constant I just lapse back the second I think about the movement I'm riding or the horse. And just trying to stop looking down doesn't have the desired effect as I can see on photos from a recent regionals that I manage to hunch my shoulders and stick my neck out whilst looking up!

I wondered if anyone had tried a physical reminder for their posture like a posture corrector brace thing? Or if anyone had any words of wisdom? I've never had a physio or chiro session on me so wondering if that would help?

Thanks :)
 
Visit an osteo to check you are level then lots of pilates. No quick fix. Not sure if a brace would help with the issues you describe.

I've been having 1:1 Pilates sessions for 8 months every week and it's made an amazing difference to my posture and riding position (and general comfort as I don't ache like I used to). Like you I'm a desk jockey and my shoulders are up by my ears and I find it difficult to extend my neck. Lots of work on mobilising shoulder blades so now sit at desk with shoulders dropped. Muscle memory is a wonderful tool!

If you can find an instructor who rides even better as I do loads of riding specific exercises in my sessions.
 
Thanks, I know deep down there isn't a quick fix! Will have to look into Pilates if possible I think, really need to make a concerted effort now as it's stopping us progressing (and my neck hurts!). Have you altered the way your workstation is set up at work in any way to help, I've spen all week adjusting my chair!
 
I would keep going with 1:1 pilates.... also worth looking into Somatics..

I am very similar .. tall .. tend to hunch over.. have been having 1:1 sessions with my pilates and somatics teacher for about 18 months and am really feeling much much better for it.. my back is straightening out significantly from very rounded shoulders and tension in my mid - upper back.. as well as quite a few other issue.. a life time of poor posture is finally being rectified ;)
 
It takes a couple of months to permanently correct posture. You need to make sure your shoulders are back and down and to straighten your spine you need to lift the back of your head slightly. Also you need to engage your core as much as possible which will strengthen your back.

I sit at a desk for work and since I've stopped schooling the horses I've got in to a terrible habit of collapsing at the top of my spine/neck and pushing my chin forward.
 
Similar problems here.... if you don't have strong "core stabiliser" muscles, your upper body compensates for your weak pelvis/lumbar region.

Definitely keep going with pilates and you need to do it everyday! The whole upper leg, buttocks, iliopsoas muscles, and abs need to be really strong or else you will always tip/hunch as thats the only way your body can "stabilise" you in the saddle. Keep going and get a chiro/physio to check your tendons and ligaments are not in spasm and pulling on your spine. People can be more twisted than they appear. Most people have one leg longer than the other so that can cause weakness too and unless you naturally have good posture, then it eventually catches up with them. The body is very clever to compensate but chronic imbalances will eventually cause fatigue.

Keep persevering :)
 
Think you need a mantra. Then you chant it to yourself when you ride which reminds you to stop doing the thing you're doing / do something different. Really helped me with getting rid of various bad habits.
 
indie1282 said:
It takes a couple of months to permanently correct posture. You need to make sure your shoulders are back and down and to straighten your spine you need to lift the back of your head slightly. Also you need to engage your core as much as possible which will strengthen your back.

I sit at a desk for work and since I've stopped schooling the horses I've got in to a terrible habit of collapsing at the top of my spine/neck and pushing my chin forward.
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That is exactly what I do. I didn't really realise it until the last week, I had a Pilates session last week, she identified the top of my back was tight and at the time I said I had no idea why. Now I'm aware of it I realise what I do for about 8 hours a day at my desk, plus I have a handbag I carry on one shoulder and I hunch that as well.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone, I agree concerted effort is needed! My Pilates going is a bit sporadic but I am going to make a real effort to do some more regularly. I'm also signing up to the yoga club that is starting at work, sounds like a good use of a lunch hour to me!
 
Some good ones to master are plank, side plank, bird-dog (kneeling first then try from a plank), bridge, chair extensions, scissor.
 
You could also invest in a posture stool/chair for work..you sit on it with your knees knee,ing..no back so you have to sit up straight! A 3 day event er in France always sat on them around the dinner table..brilliant inventions!
 
Micky said:
You could also invest in a posture stool/chair for work..you sit on it with your knees knee,ing..no back so you have to sit up straight! A 3 day event er in France always sat on them around the dinner table..brilliant inventions!
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Really good but had to give mine up because it hurt my knee :(.... got a saddle stool instead. So now I feel like I'm riding at work :D
 
I had a similar problem, physio advised it was from being hunched over a monitor. If you work on a laptop, you need to get a separate monitor at the correct height. Writing this has made me realise I slopping over my tablet, need to get back the good habits again.
 
Nicnac said:
No I haven't as work in a different office almost every day which is part of the problem plus a lot of driving.
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If you drive a lot put your chair up in quite an upright position ( as long as it's comfortable) and try to lightly rest the back of your head on the headrest. You could look in to getting a support for your lower back also.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Think you need a mantra. Then you chant it to yourself when you ride which reminds you to stop doing the thing you're doing / do something different. Really helped me with getting rid of various bad habits.
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I do this as well I kind of have a ritual that I run through every time I ride it definitely works.
 
Walrus said:
I am really struggling with my posture when riding at the moment. I have always looked down since I was a child so it's a very long term bad habit! I have also realised that I hunch my shoulders and end up tipping forwards. I'm a tall person on a short native pony so physics isn't helping either.
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Just a musing.... are your stirrups too short? Perhaps riding a pony isn't ideal but if you're stirrups are too short, then your knees will push you back in the saddle and cause you to tip your pelvis and hunch. You need to feel like you're sitting "up" in the saddle and not sitting "back".
 
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