12 Stretches to Release Lower Back and Hip Pain In Riders

by Dressage Rider Training

In this article, I will run through rider back stretches and hip mobility work to help release lower back and hip pain in riders.

The human body has this amazing ability to heal itself. At any age and in nearly any state especially when given the right environment to do so. Our body will put up with a huge amount of silly movement and poor lifestyle choices for a long time because we have a large amount of functional tolerance built into us.

However we shouldn’t abuse this high tolerance and instead, we should ensure we listen and take care of our body on a daily basis. Because those little signs and symptoms that do appear can turn into bigger uglier problems later on if not taken care of. Just as a tree moulds to its environment over the years from the different weather patterns, so too does our body.

So if that environment is creating niggles and imbalances, which you ignore and only fix the symptoms, it could continue to be an issue for much longer. So given that we have this amazing body that can repair and heal itself with the right tools and environment it makes sense that we would want to pay attention to both areas when aiming to improve our rider wellbeing.

These rider back stretches and exercises are designed to help relieve lower back or hip pain, which is an incredibly common problem and often created because of the environment our bodies are placed in each and every day. So as much you want to do these stretches, pay attention to other possible changes you can make to your daily life. Such as when we sit this can be for long durations at a time and this can cause tightness in our hamstrings, shoulders, hip flexors, and compression in our lower back. To combat this, consider adding in more standing and walking into your day. Try this, for every 30 minutes of sitting you do per day, aim to do 2 minutes of walking or aim to spend 50% of your day on your feet, be it with a stand-up desk or walking meetings.

When it comes to riding, you want to ensure you are sitting evenly in the saddle and that your spine is in neutral to maintain proper posture.

Alignment matters when it comes to riding and this isn’t about just a pretty picture, its also about ensuring our body works evenly and optimally to prevent undue wear and tear. This is why when we turn up to ride we want to ensure we are doing our best off the horse to promote good posture because adding the horse’s movement and force to an uneven, unaligned body is that poor environment I am talking about. Your body may or may not put up with this for a while, but eventually, it will catch up and decrease those riding years.

Taking care of your body today, allows you to continue to do the things you love for as long as you choose.

Try these specific rider back stretches to help improve how your body feels each and every day.

12 Rider Back Stretches

Here are some fantastic rider back stretches to help you do just that if you need options for each exercise be sure to watch the video where I demonstrate each one.

1. Childs Pose

This is fantastic for helping to relieve tension through the lower back and help to open up your hips.

 

2. Key Hole Stretch

This is great for stretching into your glutes, piriformis, and lower back.

 

3. Key Hole Spinal Twist

This is great for helping to improve internal hip rotation and stretch into the glutes, lower back.

 

4. Half Lotus

This is great for getting into your hip flexors as well as stretching out your piriformis and glutes.

 

5. Seated forward fold

A great way to help stretch out the lower back and hamstrings

 

6. Wrapped Spinal Twist

This stretch helps to get into the glutes, ITB and lower back.

 

7. Runners Lunge

A stretch to get into your hip flexors and quadriceps.

 

8. Adductors

Our adductors can get tight as riders and this is a great way to open them up and get into your hip flexors and the same time.

 

9. Wide Leg Forward Fold

This helps open up the lower back and stretch the hamstrings.

 

10. Cow Face Pose

This stretch is for outer hips and the lower back.

 

11. Seated Twist

This stretch releases the lower back, glutes, and piriformis.

 

12. Happy Baby Pose

This stretch is great for opening up the lower back.

Take a look at the video above as I demonstrate each exercise and guide you through the options and adjustments. Aim to do this regularly to help prevent any tightness in your back and remember to pay attention to other factors in your environment to. Riding isn’t just about the horse, we are a team and it makes sense that you want to pay attention to your wellness each and every day as much as you do your horses.

Hope you find this useful and I hope it helps you to be able to enjoy your riding even more. Taking the time to do specific rider back stretches and hip mobility work can really make a big impact on how you feel in the saddle.

To get more information and resources to help your riding, be sure to download our free guide. Then to take your riding to the next level check out our 12 Week Dressage Rider Training Program, specifically designed to focus on your posture and performance as a dressage rider. Learn more here.

This article originally appeared on Dressage Rider Training and is published here with permission. Find other interesting articles in our sections on Health & Education, Clinicians and Trainers and Dressage.