Riding exercise.

[ride4fun]

We had a convention speaker a couple years ago who recommended planking. I did not start right away because I couldn't do them and figured "I can lift hay bales and I stay on pretty well" The speaker recommended using a desk or table and starting at an angle if unable to do the full plank but I just never did get into any routine with that.

Fast forward several months and a blog I was following was doing a weekly fitness thread and one week touched on planking and "if you can't do them start with going from your knees like a 'girls' push-up." DOH, I can do that easily enough. So worked up to being able to plank from my toes over time.

It really does help with the riding. Now if my horses spook my head and shoulders are barely shifted. I stay centered, do a one rein stop as a correction to the horse and ride on.

[Marci]

It strengthens the core and when that is strong everything is more easy. Actually better than sit ups. I have to do them from the knees, the arthritis in my foot makes it painful to do it from the feet now. At least I know which foot the draft stomped on in 85. LOL

[DorothyB]

I guess I need to read up on this . . .

[MJ]

I NEED to too. I have heard that planking is good on so many levels.

[ride4fun]

Just do a youtube search for planking. I scrolled down just a bit and got to a pic of the planking from the knees for beginners. Just scrolling thru the intro pics pretty much shows how the plank works. I am poor at describing how to do things. The cool thing is that just a minute a day improved my core strength for the riding, no need to find time for a long workout.