Fight soreness with lower back and adductor exercises

I have vivid memory of my father walking a circle around a feisty Connemara, where the end of her dorsal stripe was announced by red ribbon at the top of her tail. He skeptical evaluated her out as if he were the kicking tires on a used car, pretending to know horses. I was the youngest of four, and the only sibling obsessed with horses. Thankfully, dad agreed to purchased Sweet Arrival, the name of this medium. Sweetie showed me the ropes by testing me every chance she got, but thankfully never hurting me.

I started riding when I was five, and have been riding consistently since then. Every time I return to riding after time away, I come away feeling quite sore from my time in the saddle. The sorest area is definitely my lower back, followed by my adductors (inner legs). So I'm going to give you key exercises to strengthen your lower back and inner thigh muscles-yay!!

Lower Back Exercises

Supermans (3 sets, 15 reps)

To begin, lie straight and face down on the floor or exercise mat. Your arms should be fully extended in front of you. This is the starting position. Simultaneously raise your arms, legs, and chest off of the floor and hold this contraction for 2 seconds. Slowly begin to lower your arms, legs and chest back down to the starting position while inhaling. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions prescribed in your program.

Tip #1: Squeeze your lower back to get the best results from this exercise. Remember to exhale during this movement. 

Tip #2: When holding the contracted position, you should look like Superman (or Superwoman 😀) when he/she is flying.

Superman Variation

You can also perform this exercise using one arm and leg at a time. Simply elevating your left leg, arm and side of your chest and do the same with the right side.

Plank (30 secs - 3 mins...Start holding for 30 seconds and work up to 3 minutes)

Hold your body straight (like in a push-position), and use you elbow to prop up your body. Be sure to draw navel towards spine and keep gaze just past fingertips.

Side plank (30 secs - 3 mins)

Start on side, place forearm under shoulder perpendicular to body and stack legs. Contract your core and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to feet. Hold this without letting your hips drop.

Understanding Adductors (Inner thighs) 

Structure

The adductors are a group of five inner thigh muscles: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, pectineus, and gracilis. These five muscles originate at or near the sit bones and branch out to end (see insert) along the inner thigh bone (medial portion of the femur) and the shin bone (tibia). Together, they resemble an upside-down Japanese fan.

Illustration of Adductors

Function

As their name implies, the adductors are responsible for hip adduction. Adduction occurs at the hip when you pull the legs toward centerline—an imaginary vertical line along the center of the body dividing the left and right sides. Any time you bring the legs together, the hips are adducted. The hips are adducted when you’re sitting in a chair with your legs crossed. 

Strengthen

As an example, when you strengthen a muscle by lifting weights, tiny micro-tears develop in the muscle fibers. When you rest after strengthening, the body sends the necessary nutrients to repair the damage to that muscle, and to stimulate its growth to prevent future damage. It is this process of repairing the micro-tears that strengthens the muscle.

Anytime you pull the legs toward centerline—in or out of the gym—the adductors are strengthened. In everyday life, the adductors are strengthened each time you stand on one leg while removing gum from the bottom of your shoe, ride horseback (squeezing the horse with your legs for stability) or squeeze the legs together while trying on a too-tight skirt. In the gym, popular adductor-strengthening exercises include clamshells, adductor side-lying leg lifts, standard squats, and chair pose in yoga. In all these scenarios, the legs are moving toward centerline.

Adductor Exercises using a Pilates Ring or Ball (like the one used for kickball)

V-Sit Hold (30 secs - 3 mins)

Start in a seated position with your knees bent and feet slightly raised above the floor. Your chest should be open and lifted. With your arms by your sides, slowly unfold from your seated v by simultaneously lowering your torso and legs toward the floor. Stop when your legs are around a 45-degree angle, or when you feel your lower back arch away from the floor.

If you’ve ever held a V-sit, then you know how challenging it is for your core. But if you place a power ring between your feet and hold the V-sit, your inner thighs are going to be working just as hard as those abs! This is one of the greatest exercises for inner thighs!

Standing Leg Presses (30 secs - 3 mins)

If you want to make the side leg presses more challenging, you can do them while standing up by placing the circle around your legs just above your ankles. Now press the circle outward and make sure you are standing upright throughout the exercise. Don’t forget to engage your core! 

Roll-Up (30 secs - 3 mins)

The roll-up is a traditional Pilates exercise, but when you add a power ring to it, you can effectively engage your upper body as well. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended overhead. Inhale arms to the sky, exhale and slowly roll up into a “C” curve reaching for your toes. (Think about threading your belly button to your spine, and activate your transverse abdominus.)
Inhale and start to slowly go back in a C curve. Exhale as you uncurl your body one vertebra at a time back into the mat. The key is to keep your feet on the ground. Use your abs and back to gracefully articulate down to the mat and avoid using your hip flexors and glutes. If you have trouble keeping your feet on the ground, have someone hold your feet or use a resistance band around your feet and hold the handles in your hand. Or bend your knees as you come up. It’s always okay to modify!

Hip Bridge (30 secs - 3 mins)

This is another pilates staple that intensifies with the addition of a power ring. Lying on your back with knees bent, place pilates ring or ball between your thighs just above your knees. Lift hips off floor while squeezing the ring or ball.

Be sure to read Part 2 of this lower back and inner thigh series. I will go into further detail and provide more exercises.

Become a better rider for your horse!