Equestrians understand the necessity for balance. Sitting atop a moving horse with nothing but a pair of stirrups and their knees to secure their seat, horse riders need also rely on their musculature to keep them astride. Balimo -- Balance in Motion -- exercises were developed by Eckart Meyners, a professor of Sports Physiology and Body Movement in Germany and Jill Hassler-Scoop to help riders keep their balance. Meyners and Hassler-Scoop created these techniques by drawing on established disciplines like yoga, The Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method for inspiration. These four Balimo exercises develop your flexibility while building strength to help you move with your horse with confidence.
Step 1
Lay down on the floor. Bend your knees until your upper thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your lower legs are parallel to the floor. Stretch your arms out from your shoulders to each side on the floor. Slowly drop both knees together toward the right until your outer right leg is lying on the floor with your left leg stacked on top. Turn your head slightly to the left and attempt to keep your left shoulder on the floor. Return both legs to the starting position. Repeat the maneuver to the left. Continue in this manner for up to two minutes.
Step 2
Lie on your right side on the floor. Start moving your upper or left leg in circles as if you were pedaling a bike. Experiment with making small and then increasingly larger circles. Pedal forward and backward a number of times and then turn to lie on your left side and pedal with your right leg. You can also lift your legs into the air until they are perpendicular to the floor, while supporting your lower back with your hands and simulate the pedaling motion in a vertical manner.
Step 3
Walk slowly as you bend your left knee and lift your left foot off the ground so that it crosses slightly over your right knee. Reach down with your right hand and touch your left foot while it's crossed over your right knee. Release your left foot back to the ground and repeat the exercise with your right foot and left hand. Once you have the swing of this maneuver, increase the difficulty by performing the same exercise only with your feet lifted behind you, alternating between left and right. Alternate front and back and left and right foot lifts.
Step 4
Adjust the height of your Balimo Chair -- a stool with an oscillating seat -- so that your knees are a little lower than the seat. Sitting on the stool tilt your pelvis to the far right and then to the far left. Then tilt your pelvis to the front and then to the back. Once you have repeated these maneuvers a number of times start circling your pelvis in one even motion several times to the right and then several times to the left.
Things You'll Need
- Balimo Chair
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