Riding and strengthening the core with kinetic ball and wellness
The trunk is a complex muscular system that includes: the pelvic floor muscles, the transverse abdominal muscles, the multilateral muscle, the internal and external obliques, the rectus abdominis, the sacral spinal muscle and the diaphragm. As we know, strengthening the torso improves our general balance and strengthens the upper and lower extremities, resulting in improved athletic performance.
Therefore, many sports performances depend on the stability of the core muscles: horseback riding is one of them. Riders in particular should strengthen their muscles because good stability and the right belly level help control the horse and give it the right commands. The rider does not just stand on the saddle: the horse responds to stimuli that come from muscular commands given to him by the rider.
Movement exercises for horse riding
What muscles are mainly used? adductor, quadriceps, buttocks and core muscles.
In fact, proper posture maintenance and execution during the race depends on the trunk which must sometimes function effectively for extended periods. So the athlete must try to build strength and endurance for this muscle group if he is to succeed in giving perfect commands to his bearer throughout the competition.
Chest extensions alternating with pull-ups
From a standing position facing the movement of the bust, tilt the bust forward while maintaining its natural physiological curvature. From there, hold the lower handles with your arms straight.
Tighten your torso until it returns to its upright position, then pull the right handle back and up, so that the elbow is above shoulder level. Exhale in a slow and controlled manner throughout the extension of the bust and the extension of the arm. Return to your initial position while inhaling, and repeat with the other end.
Slant twist bust on the ball
Seated on the health ball next to the Kinesis, grab the two lower handles with your arms straight, and turn your chest in their direction.
Rotate your torso as you move your arms up until they go past your shoulders. Exhale slowly and controlled throughout the movement, then return to your initial position as you inhale, before repeating the movement. At the end of the exercise, sit 180 degrees from the starting position, and repeat the exercise on the other side.
ball crunch
Lie on your back on a healthy ball with your feet firmly on the ground. Hold the two lower handles with your arms extended straight.
Tighten your torso by raising your head and shoulders while keeping your arms straight in front of your chest. Exhale while contracting, and inhale as you return to your initial position, before repeating the movement.
squat jump
Grasp the lower handles of the movement, then stand with your shoulders toward the Kinesis, the distance between your feet is equal to or slightly wider than shoulder width.
Bend the ankles and knees while maintaining the natural physiological curvature of the back until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Inhale throughout the descent. Then, while exhaling, make a quick extension of the lower extremities, trying to jump as high as possible. Take care to cushion the contact with the ground by keeping the lower ends slightly elastic. Then return to the starting position before repeating the movement.
soaked
Hold the two lower movement handles, then stand in front of the movement device.
Get into the movement with your right leg while bending your knee and hip. At the same time, bend your left knee to touch the floor. The width of the step should allow to obtain, at maximum flexion, angles of about 90 degrees between the thighs and at the level of the right and left knees. Inhale during this stage. Then, as you exhale, return to the starting position and do the opposite movement, then repeat with the other end.
Ball and dumbbell exercises
There are many useful exercises to strengthen the core stability of the riders, thus improving their performance. When preparing for the competition season, we recommend performing exercises with dumbbells while standing on an unstable surface: this type of work is recommended to strengthen the core strength. Another simple but effective exercise to strengthen the oblique muscles: raise the dumbbells with a side bend to the chest.
It is the special training of the riders that reproduces the stimulation of riding a horse. It is necessary to use a tool such as an exercise ball. In fact, this tool allows you to create instability, which forces the muscles of the trunk, like a horse. In Wellness Ball Active Sitting, riders can perform three basic exercises that simulate a race mode. The first and easiest is to sit on the ball and alternately raise your knees to your chest.
The second is a recumbent cobra performed on a wellness ball, which activates the abdominal muscles in the same way that a jockey does on a horse.
The last one is the knee bend. Although it may seem more difficult than it actually is, this exercise activates the rectus abdominis and the transverse muscles as well as the muscles of the lower back. Therefore, it is very useful in preventing some infections.