b2-ops35s
Single Leg Balance with Hip Opener
[B2] a balance exercise
This is a good exercise for testing and improving your overall balance (both in and out of the saddle!) as well as for opening your hips.
How do I do it?
Start in standing, with both feet hip width apart. Slowly raise one leg until your knee is raised level with your hip (to start you can raise it just a little if you struggle). Next, rotate your leg from your hip out away from your body (as if you were going to swing your leg over the back of the saddle) Hold for 3-10 seconds, then slowly bring your knee back in line and lower your foot back to the floor. Repeat with the other leg.
How will this help my riding?
Balance is critical for riding. While you're not using your feet to balance in the saddle, this exercise is still great for improving proprioception. Plus this helps with hip mobility too.
What does this exercise target?
Proprioception is the body's ability to sense movement, action, and location. In other words, it's how your body knows where each and every bit of you is relative to everything else!
What should I be careful of?
Watch that you don't radically shift your weight over your supporting leg when you begin to raise your other knee. Tighten your core and aim to keep your hips and shoulders level and your spine straight. Use the back of a chair or the wall for light support to get you going. If you struggle opening your hip fully out to the side, just do it a little to begin with.
Before starting any new exercise or training regime, we advise you to consult a physician, doctor, physiotherapist or other expert. The plans and exercises presented here and on the BLACKDOG Equestrian App are for guidance only and they do not offer advice on which you should rely. The App and the Services have not been developed to meet your individual requirements.