Friday, November 17, 2006

Belly Button Pull

Why do this?
This movement is essential to all movements suggested in Hassle Free Exercises for Riders and to all movements in the saddle. This exercise sets up the muscles to do their job - absorbing, stailizing, balancing, everything!


What it does for me:
This is the very first thing to do with this series of exercises! The Belly Button Pull is the key movement to finding your center, neutralizing your spine, engaging your abdominal muscles simultaneously with your back muscles so you can actually sit on your seat bones for stability in the saddle instead of gripping on to the sides of your horse for dear life. Whatever kind of riding you do, whenever you get into the saddle, you need to be able to pull your belly button in towards your spine.

Exercise can be done in a variety of positions - lying flat on back with knees bent and feet on the floor, sitting or standing.

Begin this exercise lying flat on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms as if hanging at your sides.

Breathe - inhale through your breast bone and exhale through the base of your shoulders.

Encourage a neutral, not arched, spine.

Gently pull your belly button in towards your spine.

The connection of the base of your belly button and your spine will feel rounded and curved, like the inside of a cup or the letter C standing on its arc.

Your back muscles from the top of your shoulders to the bottom of your seat bones will work in unison with your abdominal muscles to stabilize your body core.
The only movement comes from pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
Do not scrunch up your shoulders or jut out your jaw while pulling your belly button towards your spine.
Maintain that pull for 15 seconds.
Remember to breathe in through your breast bone and out through the base of your shoulders regularly during that 15 seconds.
Release the tilt for 15 seconds.
Repeat.
Work up to 20 repetitions.

Once able to do 3 sets of 20 repetitions while flat on your back, try it in the sitting position.
Once able to do 3 sets of 20 repetitions while sitting, try the movement while standing.
Work up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions while sitting and/or standing.

After doing this exercise every day for over a year, I now do 1 set of 15 repetitions holding 1 minute per pull while I drive to the barn, watch a movie, work at the computer, stand in line at the market, whenever and wherever. Extending the duration of the belly button pull wherever I am has enabled me to maintain that pull over a cross-country course or a round of stadium jumping.

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