Straight Leg Raise

Why do this?

This exercise strengthens your oblique and abdominal muscles. It also increases your awareness and ability to isolate and move one body part, your leg, without moving your pelvis and spine. Your ability to give independendt leg aids without compromising your position in the saddle will improve.

What it does for me:

This definitely makes my oblique and abdominal muscles stronger. This translates into better independent aids and a more stable seat on my horse.

Lie flat on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

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

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

Go for a symmetrical range of motion.

Go for the quality, not quantity, of motion.

Make a fist with both hands, point the thumbs up as if hitch hiking and put the little fingers of
your hitch hiking fists on the bony tips of your hipbones. If your thumbs remain quiet throughout the motion, your pelvis is probably quiet. That's what you want.

Push your belly button towards your spine throughout the exercise.

Lying on the floor, knees bent, feet on the floor with your hands in hitch hiking position on the
bony tips of your hips, straighten and lower one leg to the floor.
With a flexed foot, lift the straight leg up parallel to the thigh of the bent leg.
Hold that position for 3 seconds.
Lower that straight leg to the floor.
Make sure your thumbs remain quiet throughout the movement - quiet thumbs mean a stable
pelvis and spine.
Bend the knee of that leg and place that foot on the floor.
Release your pelvis and relax your leg muscles.
Rest for 5 seconds.
Push your belly button towards your spine and repeat the exercise with the same leg.

Repeat this movement 20 times with each leg.

Work up to 3 sets of 20 on each side, rest 30 - 60 seconds between sets all the while maintaining the stability of your hip bones and your locked pelvis by pushing your belly
button towards your spine.

Progressive Variation

Once up to 3 sets of 20 on each side, do alternating Straight Leg Raises - right - left - right, etc. remembering to push your belly button towards your spine, to keep your thumbs quiet, etc. Do the same variation with the Knee Pick-Ups.

Work up to 3 sets of 20 alternating both Knee Pick-Ups and Straight Leg Raises.

Remember in all variations of the Straight Leg Raises and Knee Pick-Ups,
Push your belly button towards your spine throughout the entire movement.
Keep your thumbs quiet throughout the motion - quiet thumbs mean stable pelvis and spine.
Release and relax between repetitions so your muscles do not become fatigued.