Rowing

Why do this?

Rowing increases flexibility and range of motion in your shoulders. It definitely helps support the shoulder’s rotator cuff. It opens up the front and back of the chest wall. Breathing and lung capacity will likely increase. The Rowing motion will give you the feeling of independent riding aids because your shoulder, arms and elbows will be doing one thing while your hips, legs and ankles will be doing something else

What this does for me:

This Rowing motion definitely encourages rhythmic, loose, balanced and simultaneous movement in all parts of my body. The more I’m able to melt all my body parts together while maintaining their respective positions in the one smooth, liquid rowing motion, the more I’ll eventually be able to melt my body into my horse’s. Maybe for a few seconds in the distant future, my riding will look effortless, connected and completely fluid.

Use a resistance band or sport cord to do this exercise, not a typical rowing machine found in a gym. Tie the band/cord in a knot in the center, close the knot into a closed door. Pull on band/cord so it doesn’t snap you in the face and then adjust it so it’s at the right height for you

Sit on an armless chair or stool in front of a closed door holding a resistance band/sport cord at rein height in both hands with bent elbows.

Breathe - inhale through your breastbone and exhale through the bottom of your shoulders.

Breathe into the bottom of your heels in order to keep your sitting position stable while doing this movement.

Encourage a neutral, not arched spine.

Lock your pelvis by pulling your belly button towards your spine.

Keep your head and neck over your spine in one plane, not flexed or curved forward with your chin sticking out.

Visualize your shoulder blades moving downward throughout the entire rowing motion.

Keep your chest open so your shoulder blades move back towards the spine, not rolling forward.

Go for quality of motion, not quantity.

Pull and release the “oars” of the resistance band/sport cord from your shoulder blades in a smooth, continuous motion as if you were rowing a boat.
Have your elbows move back while making sure the fronts of your shoulders do not fall forward.
Visualize a controlled squeezing together and a controlled opening of the bottom of your shoulder blades on the pulling and releasing motions.
The pulling motion is equal to the releasing motion.
The motion is smooth and continuous, not jerking.
Head and neck must be stable, not bending or curving forward or backward in either pulling or releasing motion.
Keep pulling your belly button towards your spine in both the pulling and releasing motion of the “oars.”
Begin with 5 – 10 repetitions.
Once you can do 20 repetitions while maintaining your locked pelvis, your head and neck over your spine and your shoulder blades pulling and releasing smoothly, work up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions.