Eqipilates

eml

eml

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Apr 29, 2002
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Today we had an Equipilates instructor into our residential camp and I went along to observe/ possibly join in.

Started off with positional and core work on a saddle horse which I opted out of as I didn't think I could physically mount the 14 hh wooden horse from the step we had available ( Saddle had no girth either!)

Carried on with tension busting exercises first anti spasm exercise for leg and bottom muscles. Amazingly these released my painful hip/knee/sciatic issues almost immediately. Moved onto moving a 'prickly ball' with seat bones and then instructor said down on gym mats. I explained I would try but may need a lot of help , chairleg to climb etc to get up again. We rolled over the prickly ball and stretched legs sideways, up and over in turn. Not only did I find these exercise easy but they proved I was much more supple than I thought. At the end I felt not only able to get up from the floor unaided but much more mobile.

Finished with partnering up and one being horse other rider to look at rein handing. I identified my partner as taking too strong a contact as a 'horse' but don't think my 'drop the contact even if horse falls over' philosophy went down well!

I will carry on with the exercises, perhaps have a private session in a few weeks.


Amazing difference in mobility from walking to stair climbing in one session....has anyone else tried this?
 
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I had an instructor out last year, it was fantastic, I really must get back to doing the exercises regularly as it really did help lots :D
 
Sounds very interesting! If everything works out I am off to a horse camp in mid September and there is a session there. They actually run session reasonably local to me if I want to carry on.
 
I would love to give it a try. I do clinical pilates - because it's offered by the physio department here at work so I can do it in my lunch break - and I find it really helpful for both riding and just every day life really - mucking out, pushing heavy barrows, emptying the dishwasher, the list goes on. I always feel wonderful after a session - so relaxed and free of tension. I think equipilates would be really beneficial. Is it something you can do before, say, a lesson do you know? Or does it leave you so relaxed that you need a break before getting on a horse?
 
Oh that's really interesting. They're is a company that runs regular courses near me and they have a 5-week dismounted course starting tonight. If I had had more notice I may well have signed up but as it is the exhaust fell off my car this morning so funds will be used elsewhere!!

But I will certainly sign up for the next lot!
 
Sounds interesting Eml :)

A side note, and sounds bizarre - but try sitting on a golf ball and rolling it around - a really high percent of "sciatica" originates from the bottie! There is a muscle called the piriformis which often over compensates for the hip and lower back to stabilise the area, and ends up going into spasm - I would guess from the exercises you did yours is probably an issue too :)

(Btw I put sciatica in commas because by definition it should be caused by impingement of spinal cord, but even with bulging discs etc more often than not the piriformis is a bigger player but often not examined)
 
We did lots of rolling around on a prickly ball on the piriformis, I shall go and acquire a golf ball. I have three lumbar vertebrae fused so sciatica unlikely although symptoms are similar!

We were given two exercises to do before riding both to reduce spasm in hip and bottom muscles, both do-able sitting on a dining/kitchen type chair.

Exercises on the saddle horse worked on achieving a neutral spine, sitting square finding seatbones ,breathing into the pelvis visualisation. arm and shoulder work and what I interpreted as body halfhalt ( tummy button in shoulder blades move together and upper arm lengthen.
 
This is offered at one of our local yards and grown up daughter who has inherited my bad back does pilates too. I have always been frighted to try it eml, in case it makes my back worse by expecting too much flexibility. I now have a typing chair you sit astride - but that lifts your weigh off the bottom of your spine.
Sitting on a small ball would do the opposite?
 
Or is the golf ball resting on the flat seat of a chair and you are sitting on the chair too but moving the ball around under you?
 
I told the instructor my limitations, mainly mounting and dismounting and getting up and down from the floor.The ball exercises involve sitting on a chair and moving a ball to relax muscles. I was very scepical but amazed how much more mobile I felt
 
Depending on the size of your butt ;) - I use a hard dog ball. "Sciatica" type pain is often referred from the gluts, especially gluteus medius and minimus (side of hip). Trigger points in these can cause pain in the lower lumbar and even down the leg. I can feel the sweet ( excruciating ) spot & keep the pressure on it until it releases. Yoga or pilates really good for mobility and core strength..
 
I will try as you say eml.
This is not pilates exactly but I used a special typing chair with a sloping seat for typing. It eventually wore out and when I went to replace it, and mentioned horse riding, the Scandinavian salesman recommended I try a chair that mimics a saddle. A HAG capisco.
http://www.hag-uk.co.uk/products/hag-capisco/

You don't sit on in the same way as you sit on a horse - which is what apparently inspired the designed. But my back no longer hurts after sitting at the computer.
 
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