In our blog post about how our fitness as equestrians benefits our horses, one of the benefits we reviewed was that a balanced rider is more comfortable for their horse. But what does it really mean to be balanced and how do we achieve it? In this 3-part blog series, we will break down different ways to think about symmetry in the saddle, why it’s important for you and your horse, and different exercises you can do to improve.

WHAT IS MUSCLE SYMMETRY?

Muscle symmetry refers to the balance of strength, flexibility, and mobility between opposing muscles and between the left and right sides of the body. Achieving muscle symmetry is important for equestrians because it can improve riding performance, reduce the risk of injury, and improve overall health and wellness. In addition to all the previously mentioned benefits to our horses!

There are a few different ways to think about symmetry. In part 1 of this series, we will talk about Left-Right Symmetry.

LEFT-RIGHT SYMMETRY

Left-right symmetry refers to the balance of strength, flexibility, and mobility between the left and right sides of the body. When one side of the body is stronger, more flexible, or more mobile than the other, it can lead to compensations and imbalances that can negatively impact riding performance and potentially lead to injury. As you can imagine, this can affect our horse’s movement and balance as well. Achieving left-right symmetry is essential!

EXERCISES TO IMPROVE LEFT-RIGHT SYMMETRY

1. Single Leg Balance Exercises

Stand on one leg and try to maintain your balance for 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat on the other leg. This will help improve the strength and stability of the muscles in your hips, legs, and ankles, which can help improve left-right symmetry. This is something that you can work into your daily routine pretty easily - you can practice balancing when you’re brushing your teeth, drying your hair, waiting in line at the store, at the barn brushing your horse - really anywhere! Continue to challenge yourself by holding your lifted leg in different places - sometimes out front, sometimes to the side, sometimes to the back.

2. Unilateral Strength Training

Incorporate unilateral strength training exercises, such as lunges, split squats, and single-leg deadlifts, into your workout routine. These exercises will help improve strength and stability in each leg individually, which can help correct imbalances.

Important tip! Always work your weaker side first and then do the same number of reps on your stronger side.

3. Yoga & Pilates

Yoga and Pilates are great for improving left-right muscle symmetry because they both involve a lot of unilateral movements and focus on core strength and stability. Consider taking a yoga or Pilates class or incorporating these exercises into your routine at home.

4. Stretching

Tight muscles on one side of the body can contribute to muscle imbalances. Make sure you stretch both sides of your body equally, paying particular attention to muscles that are tight or sore.

Stay tuned for the next post where we’ll examine two more types of symmetry to think about plus exercises to correct it! And add these exercises to your workouts this week!

Courtney