The Rider's Fitness Guide to a Better Seat

Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt

Description

With three full exercise routines for riders at beginner, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels, this guide helps you achieve a good basic riding position that is centered, aligned, balanced, and relaxed. There are clear explanations and photos of each exercise plus three tear-out workout guides, so you can exercise anywhere. An improved seat enhances your riding experience, helps eliminate back pain and post-riding soreness, lessens fatigue, minimizes the risk of injury, and improves your performance.
List of Figures.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1. Components of a Good Seat.

Developing a Good Seat.

Finding Your Center of Gravity.

Finding Your Center of Gravity:The Rocking Exercise.

Maintaining Your Balance with the Horse.

Achieving Symmetry and Balance in Riding.

Conclusion.

2. Human Anatomy.

Skeleton.

Musculature.

The Core Muscles.

3. Proper Breathing Techniques.

Breathing Muscles.

Taking a Full Breath.

Strengthening Breathing Exercises.

The Full Breath Exercise.

The Diaphragm Breathing Exercise.

Breathing and Body Alignment.

4. Postural Alignment Self-Tests.

First Self-Test:The Standing Test.

Evaluating Your Overall Body Alignment.

Checking Your Lower Back Alignment.

Evaluating the Alignment of Specific Body Parts.

Second Self-Test:The Walking Test.

5. Stretching Tips and Suggestions.

Benefits of Regular Stretching.

Physical Benefits.

Cerebral Benefits.

When to Stretch.

The Stretch Reflex.

What to Stretch.

How to Stretch.

The Easy Stretch.

The Deeper Stretch.

Mentally Counting a Stretch.

Overall Benefits of Stretching.

6. Exercise Tips and Suggestions.

Benefits of Regular Exercise.

When to Exercise.

How to Exercise.

Staying Focused When You Exercise.

Physical Benefits of Exercise.

7. Warm-Up Exercises.

Walking on the Spot Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

Advanced Version of Walking on the Spot Exercise.

Scissor Feet Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

Arm Twist Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

Advanced Version of Arm Twist Exercise.

Conclusion.

8. Core Muscle Exercises and Stretches.

Strengthening Exercises for the Core Muscles.

Abdominal Muscles Exercise.

Advanced Version of Abdominal Muscles Exercise.

Back Muscles Exercise.

Stretches for the Core Muscles.

Abdominal Muscles Stretch.

Back Muscles Stretch.

9. Upper Body Exercises and Stretches.

Strengthening Exercises for the Upper Body.

Neck Exercises.

Shoulder Exercises.

Mid-Back Extension Exercise.

Stretches for the Upper Body.

Neck Stretches.

Shoulder Stretches.

10. Lower Body Exercises and Stretches.

Strengthening Exercises for the Lower Body.

Hip Exercises.

Leg Exercises.

Stretches for the Lower Body.

Hip Stretches.

Leg Stretches.

11. General Coordination Exercises.

General Extension Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

General Flexion Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

The Twist Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

Advanced Twist Exercise.

The Bridge Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

Knee Squeeze Exercise.

Starting Position.

The Exercise.

12. Beginning Exercise Program: The First 10 Days.

Breathing Exercises.

Warm Up Your Body.

Core Muscles Workout.

Upper Body Workout.

Lower Body Workout.

Beginning Exercise Program Chart.

13. Intermediate Exercise Program: The Next 20 Days.

Warm Up Your Body.

Upper Body Workout.

Lower Body Workout.

14. Advanced Exercise Program: Ongoing (Maintenance) Period.

Warm Up Your Body.

Maintenance of Your Back Core Muscles.

Maintenance of Your Anterior Core Muscles.

Maintenance of Your Torso Muscles.

Maintenance of Your Leg Muscles.

15. Preventing Soreness.

Spine and Limb Soreness.

Shoulder Soreness.

Figure Eight Exercise.

Leg Cramping.

Leg Cramp Stretch.

16. Conclusion.

Appendix: Suggested Readings.

Books.

Index.

About the Author.

About Massage Awareness.

Take-along Exercise Guides.

Sujets

• Animal Sports
• Sports
• Equestrian
• Equestrianism
• Recreation
• Sport équestre
• Sports équestres
• Sports équestres
• Sports équestres

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 24 mars 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470223703
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE RIDER’S FITNESS GUIDE
to a
Better Seat
THE RIDER’S FITNESS GUIDE
to a
Better Seat
J EAN -P IERRE H OURDEBAIGT , LMT
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright © 2008 by Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright Stacey Killmaier.
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions .
Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, Howell Book House, and related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
Some of the exercises contained in this work may not be appropriate for all individuals, and readers should consult with a physician before commencing any exercise program.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Hourdebaigt, Jean-Pierre.
The rider’s fitness guide to a better seat / Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt.
p. cm.
ISBN: 978-0-470-13743-7 (pbk.)
1. Horsemanship. I.Title.
SF309.H685 2008
798.2'3 dc22
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Book design by Lissa Auciello-Brogan and Erin Zeltner
Cover design by José Almaguer
Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Components of a Good Seat
Developing a Good Seat
Finding Your Center of Gravity
Finding Your Center of Gravity: The Rocking Exercise
Maintaining Your Balance with the Horse
Achieving Symmetry and Balance in Riding
Conclusion
2. Human Anatomy
Skeleton
Musculature
The Core Muscles
3. Proper Breathing Techniques
Breathing Muscles
Taking a Full Breath
Strengthening Breathing Exercises
The Full Breath Exercise
The Diaphragm Breathing Exercise
Breathing and Body Alignment
4. Postural Alignment Self-Tests
First Self-Test:The Standing Test
Evaluating Your Overall Body Alignment
Checking Your Lower Back Alignment
Evaluating the Alignment of Specific Body Parts
Second Self-Test:The Walking Test
5 . Stretching Tips and Suggestions
Benefits of Regular Stretching
Physical Benefits
Cerebral Benefits
When to Stretch
The Stretch Reflex
What to Stretch
How to Stretch
The Easy Stretch
The Deeper Stretch
Mentally Counting a Stretch
Overall Benefits of Stretching
6. Exercise Tips and Suggestions
Benefits of Regular Exercise
When to Exercise
How to Exercise
Staying Focused When You Exercise
Physical Benefits of Exercise
7. Warm-Up Exercises
Walking on the Spot Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
Advanced Version of Walking on the Spot Exercise
Scissor Feet Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
Arm Twist Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
Advanced Version of Arm Twist Exercise
Conclusion
8. Core Muscle Exercises and Stretches
Strengthening Exercises for the Core Muscles
Abdominal Muscles Exercise
Advanced Version of Abdominal Muscles Exercise
Back Muscles Exercise
Stretches for the Core Muscles
Abdominal Muscles Stretch
Back Muscles Stretch
9 . Upper Body Exercises and Stretches
Strengthening Exercises for the Upper Body
Neck Exercises
Shoulder Exercises
Mid-Back Extension Exercise
Stretches for the Upper Body
Neck Stretches
Shoulder Stretches
10. Lower Body Exercises and Stretches
Strengthening Exercises for the Lower Body
Hip Exercises
Leg Exercises
Stretches for the Lower Body
Hip Stretches
Leg Stretches
11. General Coordination Exercises
General Extension Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
General Flexion Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
The Twist Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
Advanced Twist Exercise
The Bridge Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
Knee Squeeze Exercise
Starting Position
The Exercise
12. Beginning Exercise Program: The First 10 Days
Breathing Exercises
Warm Up Your Body
Core Muscles Workout
Upper Body Workout
Lower Body Workout
Beginning Exercise Program Chart
13 . Intermediate Exercise Program: The Next 20 Days
Warm Up Your Body
Upper Body Workout
Lower Body Workout
14. Advanced Exercise Program: Ongoing (Maintenance) Period
Warm Up Your Body
Maintenance of Your Back Core Muscles
Maintenance of Your Anterior Core Muscles
Maintenance of Your Torso Muscles
Maintenance of Your Leg Muscles
15. Preventing Soreness
Spine and Limb Soreness
Shoulder Soreness
Figure Eight Exercise
Leg Cramping
Leg Cramp Stretch
16. Conclusion
Appendix: Suggested Readings
Books
Index
About the Author
About Massage Awareness
Take-along Exercise Guides
LIST OF FIGURES
1.1 Six riders with good seats
Dressage
Jumper
Polo
Western
Racing
Hunt
1.2 The human center of gravity
1.3 The equine center of gravity
2.1 Anterior view of the major bones of the human skeleton
2.2 Posterior view of the major bones of the human skeleton
2.3 The major anterior muscles of the human anatomy
2.4 The major posterior muscles of the human anatomy
2.5 The hip muscles of the human anatomy
2.6 The core muscles of the back (erector spinae) muscle group
2.7 Anterior views of the abdominal muscle group
3.1 Full Breath Exercise, starting position
3.2 Full Breath Exercise, breathing in
3.3 Full Breath Exercise, breathing out
3.4 Diaphragm Breathing Exercise, starting position
3.5 Diaphragm Breathing Exercise, breathing in
3.6 Diaphragm Breathing Exercise, breathing out
3.7 This figure shows incorrect body posture. With shallow breathing, the pelvis rolls forward, the chest sinks in, and the arms arch forward, causing a strain on the back shoulder muscles
3.8 This figure shows the correct body posture. With proper deep breathing, the pelvis rolls back, the chest lifts, and the arms are properly aligned
4.1 Proper body alignment, with theoretical plumb line
4.2 Outline of the human body for the standing self-test
4.3 Outline of the human body for the walking self-test
5.1 The easy stretch of the left triceps muscle
5.2 The deeper stretch of the left triceps muscle
7.1 Walking on the Spot Exercise, starting position
7.2 Walking on the Spot Exercise, left leg
7.3 Walking on the Spot Exercise, right leg
7.4 Walking on the Spot Exercise, left leg at 90 degrees
7.5 Walking on the Spot Exercise, right leg at 90 degrees
7.6 Advanced Walking on the Spot Exercise, left knee up to right chest
7.7 Advanced Walking on the Spot Exercise, right knee up to left chest
7.8 Scissor Feet Exercise, starting position
7.9 Scissor Feet Exercise, left front
7.10 Scissor Feet Exercise, left behind
7.11 Arm Twist Exercise, starting position
7.12 Arm Twist Exercise, turning left
7.13 Arm Twist Exercise, turning right
7.14 Advanced Arm Twist Exercise, turning left and lifting left knee to right shoulder
7.15 Advanced Arm Twist Exercise, turning right and lifting right knee to left shoulder
8.1 Abdominal Muscles Exercise, starting position
8.2 Abdominal Muscles Exercise, "chin in" position
8.3 Abdominal Muscles Exercise, ending position
8.4 Advanced Abdominal Muscles Exercise, bringing chest to left knee, legs at a 90-degree angle
8.5 Advanced Abdominal Muscles Exercise, bringing chest to right knee, legs at a 90-degree angle
8.6 Back Muscles Exercise, starting position
8.7 Back Muscles Exercise, ending position
8.8 Abdominal Musc