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 the championships are and you need stamina more than ever.

Whether you ride hunter/jumper, dressage or another discipline, one area that riders can benefit from strengthening is your back. We hear a lot about stretching, and a lot about abs, but the complaint I hear most through the show season is sore back. One reason is that most riders have to ride longer and more often through the day of a show day than they normally would, and don't have the stamina in their back muscles to support correct posture for that length of time.

Daily life is also a culprit in that it does not provide many opportunities to acquire back strength naturally. Unless you split wood every day, row competitively or throw a lot of haybales every week (I said a lot, feeding the barn does not count), you need to do some deliberate acts of exercise to strengthen your back. Riding itself is not adequate as your riding position does not move your back muscles in a wide range of motion.

So, here’s a quick and mean routine to help you hold your posture in the saddle, longer and without back pain at the end of your show day. I've pasted some photos into the comments section below.

Do this routine at least three times a week.

1. 30 Back extensions on a ball with your arms pressing forward: lay over the ball on your stomach, with your feet propped against the wall or hooked under something heavy so you do not flip onto your face. Lift your back and shoulders up roughly at 45 degrees to the floor. Do not raise your body way up high, as over-extension puts too much pressure on the lower back disks. Once you are in the air, put your fists to your cheeks and press your arms forward like superman.

2. 30 Leg lifts on your stomach on the ball: your starting posture is similar, except that your head and arms are on the floor on one side of your exercise ball, and your toes are just touching the ground on the other. Your hips should be the highest point of your body. Slowly raise your legs up and down to work the smaller muscles in your sacral area of your lower back.

3. 30 Reverse flys: Pick light handweights and bend over so your back is parallel to the floor, knees bent. Put your hands and elbows together in front of you, and raise them out to the sides like you are ‘flying’. Palms should face the ground, and you should feel your shoulder blades squeezing together. Another option is to stand in a squatting position with your knees bend and back straight, abdominals tight. Grasp the handles of an exercise tube looped around a stationary object, and move your arms out to the sides at about shoulder height, with your palms/fists facing forward. Move your arms back in together to touch your forearms together. If you want to work on your balance or quadriceps strength, get in a deep squat for both versions, or try both of them on a balance board or while standing on two tennis balls.


Done correctly, you should feel a burning sensation in various muscles. If you feel pain or sharp pain, discontinue the exercise and consult a physiotherapist or doctor.

Happy Riding!