Essential Resistance Band Exercises
To gain stability, control, strength and softness in your riding……..

Part III – Gaining better hip control

With Lisa Champion MSc (Exercise Science)

Gaining control of your hips… sounds a bit strange doesn’t it? You probably don’t think of your hips as a body part that requires control. You might think that your legs aren’t as effective as you’d like, or you may think that your seat isn’t deep enough, but chances are you don’t think about your hips (except maybe when you’re wondering how that next chocolate bar will affect them!). Well, both the movement (or stillness) of your legs and the deepness of your seat is directly related to the control you have over your hips.
Hip control also plays a big part in how your knee operates. If you have knees that tend to roll in when you stand and walk, gaining better hip control will help them track straighter. This can have a great impact on how your back feels, how your leg sits when you are in the saddle and how much or how little gripping occurs when you ride.
Here are three great exercises to wake up the muscles in and around your hips and to get them working more effectively.

Exercise 1
Deep Hip Controller

Focus
This exercise is designed to help you get in touch with your deep hip muscles (gluteus medius and minimus if you’re into muscle names). While riding, these muscles control the alignment of the leg relative to the trunk. If they are working well, your whole leg will be controlled from the hip, rather than the knee. This will give you much greater seat control and much stiller and more effective legs.
Set-up
• To locate your deep hip controllers, you need to place your hands on your buttocks and find the soft spot just on the top and slightly to the side. If you press gently in, it will feel a bit tender. To feel these muscles working when you are doing the exercise, you need to dig in a little bit.
•Tie the exercise band around your lower leg at about mid-shin position. Make sure it is snug, but not too tight.
•Place your right foot one step in front of your left. (see Start Position)
Movement
•Take a deep breath in and, without moving the foot, rotate your leg inwards.
•Breathe out slowly thinking of the drawing up feeling of your pelvic floor muscles as you move your leg outwards.
•Breathe in, leg rotates inward. Breathe out, leg rotates outwards.
•Repeat 10-15 times on each leg making sure your form is perfect! Build up to doing 20 repetitions.
Watch-out Points
•This movement is very subtle and it can take some practice before you are sure of it. To start with, you may find you’re initiating it by simply moving the knee, which is what we tend to do on the horse.
•Turn your focus to initiating the movement from your deep buttocks.
•Because the deep hip controllers are closely linked with your pelvic floor muscles, it really helps to coordinate the action with your breathing.
•If possible, practice in front of a mirror to ensure that your alignment remains in tact.

Exercise 2
Leg Away

Focus
This exercise emphasises alignment, hip control and core stability while flexing and extending the leg against the resistance of the band. It challenges your hip control in a different plane of movement and with a different angle of resistance.
Set-up
•Lie on your side and wrap the exercise band around the foot of your top leg. Hold the ends of the band snugly without gripping too hard.
•Check your alignment by ensuring your hips are stacked on top of each other and your shoulders are level. It helps to imagine that your body is parallel to an imaginary wall behind you.
•You should just be able to see the toes of your top leg when you look down the body. This prevents you from leaning back too far.
•Bend your bottom leg slightly for added stability. As you improve, you can do the exercise with your bottom leg straight.
Movement
•Before you start the movement, take a few deep breaths in this position, focusing on activating your deep corset by drawing up on your pelvic floor muscles.
•To begin the exercise, take a deep breath in as you slowly bend your knee towards your upper body.
•Breathe out slowly thinking of the drawing up feeling of your pelvic floor muscles as you straighten your leg against the resistance of the band.
•Breathe in, leg moves towards the body. Breathe out, leg moves away from the body.
•Repeat 10-15 times on each leg making sure your form is perfect! Build up to doing 20 repetitions.
Watch-out Points
•As you extend your leg, focus on activating the deep buttock muscles to give you added control.
•Watch that you don’t lean forward or back as you perform the exercise – keep your hips and shoulders stacked on top of each other.
•Think of your leg as moving up and down a train track to keep the alignment perfect.
• If possible, practice in front of a mirror to ensure that your alignment remains in tact.

Exercise 3
Side-Lying Leg Raise

Focus
The side-lying leg raise emphasises alignment, hip control and core stability while raising and lowering the leg against the resistance of the band. It is another way to challenge your hip control with a different angle of resistance. Focus on keeping the leg long and activating the movement of the leg from the hip – mirroring what you are trying to do in the saddle.
Set-up
•Lie on your side and wrap the exercise band around both feet. Hold the ends of the band snugly without gripping too hard. Try to keep the arm holding the band soft and relaxed.
•Check your alignment by ensuring your hips are stacked on top of each other and your shoulders are level. It helps to imagine that your body is parallel to an imaginary wall behind you.
•You should just be able to see your toes when you look down the body. This prevents you from leaning too far forwards or backwards.
Movement
•Before you start the movement, take a few deep breaths in this position, focusing on activating your deep corset by drawing up on your pelvic floor muscles.
•To begin the exercise, take a deep breath in and as you breathe out slowly thinking of the drawing up feeling of your pelvic floor muscles as you raise your top leg against the resistance of the band.
•Imagine that the leg is lengthening away from you as it moves up.
•Breathe in, leg moves back down towards the body. Breathe out, leg lengthens and moves away from the body.
•Repeat 10-15 times on each leg making sure your form is perfect! Build up to doing 20 repetitions.
Watch-out Points
•As you lengthen and raise your top leg, focus on initiating the movement with your deep buttock muscles. Sometimes it is helpful to just hold the leg in the raised position for one or two breaths as you turn your concentration to your deep hip controllers.
•Watch that you don’t lean forward or back as you perform the exercise – keep your hips and shoulders stacked on top of each other.
•If possible, practice in front of a mirror to ensure that your alignment remains in tact.
Practice these three exercises and you are sure to gain greater control and awareness of the muscles in and around your hips. If you do the exercises slowly with excellent concentration, you will be imprinting new movement patterns in your body that will sub-consciously be effective in the saddle. Contrary to many other forms of exercise, these exercises are best done slowly with brain activation! Next month, we conclude the resistance band series with some great upper body exercises. Stay tuned!