Hi, As you know, you can post questions to the Ride Fit blog, along with photos (if you have them and want to) and take advantage of the blog as a free online 'clinic' to help you with specific suggestions for getting more alignment between your riding, and your fitness activities.
Just as with other sports, there is no single workout you can pull out of a box that will make you a better rider. There are some principles: good posture, for example, is essential to good riding whatever your disci…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on November 5, 2009 at 4:00pm —
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Comments and questions recently posted to my last blog were really excellent. I've copied them here, with some answers. Remember- you can post questions, comments and even photos for analysis to the latest Ride Fit blog. I try and respond in the next blog posting.
QUESTIONS FROM BARNMICE MEMBER, 'SIT_THE_TROT':
OK, I totally agree with this:
"we do look for alignment from the elbow through the forearm to the bit, regardless of discipline. A rider should also have softness in the elbow so that t…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on October 1, 2009 at 4:59pm —
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Hi, I had an excellent question about suitable training schedules for getting fit for Eventing in my inbox in response to one of the recent Ride Fit blogs. The question and response are below.
Question:
Hi Heather
Thanks for responding to my blog post about neck stretches. As my neck and back have been causing me problems lately I've decided to start up my clinical pilates again which I'd let slide when life got busy. I'd be interested on your opinion about a couple of things please...
-…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on September 5, 2009 at 9:43am —
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Hi,
Since the questions and comments to last weeks' lengthy blog on stretching were related to how to get better shoulder mobility, I've uploaded a new video showing some pre and post ride stretches for chest and shoulders.
http://www.barnmice.com/video/chest-stretches-for-riders-aug
You can post comments, questions and even photos to this Ride Fit blog anytime. The original vision was to create an 'onl…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on August 12, 2009 at 8:58am —
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Hi,
I'm sitting in my training studio and it seems eerily quiet these days- except anywhere near horse show grounds. For some of you, the show season is in full swing with long days, and long weeks. It seems like the summer daylight hours just give us more time to work: more time to train, more time at the barn—and less time for other things, like off-horse exercise. And with the sun rising later and setting just a little sooner- it's like we're really trying to 'make hay while the sun shines' (…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on August 5, 2009 at 11:09pm —
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Hi, I have to first apologize for being slightly longer with getting this latest blog out to you. This month has been quite busy due to preparing for an interview with Jane Savoie for her 'Interviews with Experts' section of her DressageMentor site (great site by the way!), and the launch of my books, Handy Stretching Guide for Riders, and The Complete Core Workout for Riders.
I've been eating, sleeping, breathing core exercises lately, and so of course, that's what is top of mind for me right n…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on July 28, 2009 at 11:30am —
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Hi, This week I spotted a great question posted to the 'over 50 rider' group. I've copied it below:
What are you doing to keep fit/get fit, keep supple, improve or keep your balance, stretch muscles or even to control nerves and be calm? And what supplements are people taking, or herbs or meds to keep from feeling pained and creaky before and after riding or barn work?
Balance and confidence are big questions I get a lot. We keep in mind that riding is really about the fact that when it…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on July 11, 2009 at 11:50am —
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Hi, The rider that submitted her question for this weeks' blog was so clear, her question is pasted below:
Hi Heather, I have two main problems that I am dealing with right now. The first is that my shoulders are very hunched and rounded forward. I have a hard time keeping them open and back when I'm riding (and in general!). I have some back problems (a rotational scoliosis in my T10/T11 vertebrae and a tendency for my L3/L4 disc to want to herniate), but I do not believe that they are a ma…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 25, 2009 at 8:33pm —
2 Comments
Hi, There were some great comments to last weeks' blog on soft hands and the training scale for rider fitness. One rider submitted some detailed information and photos with her question, so we will do an online clinic this week. My mandate with the Barnmice online 'clinic' is to provide three recommendations for off-horse exercises. It's actually hard for me to limit to three, and I often write in a few more bonus suggestions. A few exercises doesn't make a suddenly fitter, better rider. However…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 16, 2009 at 5:16pm —
3 Comments
Hi,
I just had the privilege of auditing a clinic with Jane Savoie this weekend. Now I'm in a kind of overfed state of sleepy shock...a little like you feel after Thanksgiving dinner because last weekend I also worked at a clinic in Nova Scotia as co-clinician with Lisa Wilcox. I don't know if my poor brain can handle any more rich input for a few days at least!
From a fitness point of view, last weeks' blog entry on light hands and proper use of the back really came back to me as I watched two…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 7, 2009 at 11:46pm —
9 Comments
Hi,
This week's topic comes from a rider (Erika) who posted the following question:
Though recently I've done very much to my core and leg positions, my arms have been neglected! Though I do not try, I know I keep my arms tense and not as relaxed as the rest of my body.
So my question(s) are, where exactly should I keep my hands (I show Training/First Level), and how should it feel? How can I relax my arms, and keep the contact that I need?
I have posted her picture in the comment section below…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 3, 2009 at 9:44am —
3 Comments
Hi,
Over the past three months since starting this rider fitness blog, we have had some really great questions and photos submitted. We've covered topics from back strength to leg position and more.
Some of you may not realise that each week I select one reader's questions (pictures are great but not necessary), and provide feedback on fitness recommendations targeted to specific goals as a rider.
Because so few of you submit photos, I was starting to wonder if you either don't have photos, did…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on May 26, 2009 at 9:21pm —
1 Comment
Hi,
I love to get your comments and questions for this blog- so don't be shy! Attach them to the comments section of a fitness blog that interests you. I select one rider's question each week (if there is one- this week there wasn't) and provide some feedback and fitness tips.
We're officially into the swing of show season now. You still have time to do a little work to boost your stamina. By July, I see riders wilting in the heat, and by the end of season just plain tuckered out- right when t…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on May 20, 2009 at 12:34pm —
1 Comment
Hi, Welcome back to the rider fitness blog. We had a great question from a reader last week about tight hips, and tight inner thighs. The fact is, riding causes tightness in the hips and thighs which has to be undone to ride better. As is the case with many sports such as hockey, golf, soccer and the list goes on, practicing your sport uses your muscles within a particular range of motion, in repetition. Failure to bring the muscle out of that range results in a shortening of the muscle, tightne…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on May 12, 2009 at 10:27pm —
2 Comments
Hi,
Last week there was a great comment posted to the Ride Better blog, with some really good photos and questions about tight hips and hamstrings.
The Rider
Sarah's clinic submission is in the comment section of the Week 9 clinic if you are interested in reading it in her own words. In summary, she is a 21 year old rider who has just picked up riding again after a break. She would like to do Eventing, but she is working on the flat with her coach to establish a sound seat and good funct…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on May 5, 2009 at 10:29am —
4 Comments
This past weekend while doing a clinic, I had a really great example of a rider with extremely tight lower back and hamstrings muscles. Since I see either one or both of these issues quite frequently, I thought it might be helpful to share some ideas about what to do about it.
Kelsey (photos in the comment below) is an intermediate level rider, but she seemed to be at a plateau- which is why she registered for the clinic. She works during the day seated at a computer, commutes back and forth se…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on April 28, 2009 at 11:01pm —
4 Comments
Hi,
This week we did not have anyone submit specific questions or photos for comment (Please do- if you're reading this blog and like it, and have some questions...go ahead and attach comments regardless of whether you have some pics or not. There are probably 10 other people out there who have the same question. Plus, you get free recommendations without having paid a clinic fee, or personal training fee.)
So, I got thinking about the season- gearing up for shows, and the fact that a majority…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on April 25, 2009 at 11:00am —
3 Comments
Hello, I hope you had an enjoyable Easter or otherwise long weekend! Last weeks' blogpost generated a great question from a Barnmice member. I thought I'd repeat her email below because her question is actually something I hear all the time: how do I do exercises to improve my riding fitness when I have hardly any time and space is tight?
The Question
Thank you SO much for all of these tips Heather!!! I have a little bit of a twist on a "fitness for riding" type of question: What kind o…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on April 14, 2009 at 4:23pm —
4 Comments
Hi,
The rider who submitted her photo and question for this weeks' blog has asked about a common issue I see quite a bit when doing clinics: getting a straighter back.
Depending on your physiology and your body's compensating patterns, your version of this problem might be completely different from your friends'. Even two people that look like they have the same posture in the saddle, might be that way for slightly different reasons. Of course, mounted posture takes into consideration not just…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on April 8, 2009 at 9:55am —
1 Comment
Hello,
This weeks' participating rider sent in a very technical description of her question. You can see her description in the comments section of last weeks' blog. She gave me some excellent and specific information, but I wanted to hasten to encourage you that you don't have to be as technical. Just a description of what's happening when you ride that you'd like addressed with some unmounted suggestions, and a few photos suffices..even if you don't have a photo, we can still work with descrip…
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Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on April 1, 2009 at 11:26am —
4 Comments
