Did you realize that simply breathing more deeply can have a dramatic effect on how you feel and hence how you ride? Breathing better will give you more energy, help to reduce both mental and physical fatigue, calm your heart rate and help to reduce muscular tension that can lead to all sorts of body discomforts. Deep, controlled breathing is also a key factor in having our postural muscles working well. When your postural muscles are doing their job, you will find it easier to sit, stand, move and ride with better balance and alignment. And, if you happen to suffer from neck, shoulder or back pain, the combination of better breathing and better posture is an excellent first step towards becoming pain free.
What influences our breathing?
In our frenetic, time-poor lives, many of us have developed inadequate breathing habits and our breath becomes shallow, rapid and stuck in the top one-third of the chest. This can become very tiring as shallow breathing brings on unnecessary tension in the neck and shoulders by overworking the neck muscles.
Poor Breathing = Neck Tension
Poor posture, particularly slumping, also influences our breath as it applies pressure to the diaphragm, effectively squashing it and preventing it from doing its job properly. If being stressed, tense, tired, busy and slumped isn’t enough to influence our breath, add to the list having sinus problems, allergies, asthma, or smoking and you can see how easy it is to develop poor breathing habits!
What is good breathing?
Good breathing is slower, deeper and less hurried. It places an equal emphasis on both the inhalation and exhalation with correct activation of the diaphragm. And, it relies on having the correct postural base.
So, to practice better breathing, start by sitting and standing more evenly. Try not to slump or sway and also avoid the temptation to stand or lean on one leg all the time. Once you begin practicing deeper breathing it will start to become your more automatic breathing response.
Try this simple breathing excercise to imprint a better breathing pattern:
• Sit comfortably with a balanced spine position
• Place your hands on your ribcage, keeping your neck relaxed.
• Breathe in slowly through your nose to a count of 4. Visualise the air going all the way down to the base of your lungs and see it move your ribs sideways.
• Breathe out slowly through your nose to a count of 4. Visualise a candle a few centimetres from it. As you exhale, don’t let the flame flicker. Keep your breath soft and even.
• Continue to breathe in and out slowly, feeling your ribs move into your hands. Don’t try to fill your abdomen with air. Just concentrate on breathing into the base of your lungs and widening the ribs as they fill up. Repeat 10 times.
Once you have practiced this breathing exercise in a controlled way, think of your breathing regularly throughout the day. As often as possible, take a few deep, relaxed breaths. This new, deeper breathing pattern will also rub off in the saddle. You will become much more conscious of your breath and will be better able to maintain deep, relaxed breathing during your ride. Your body and your mind will love you for it (not to mention your horse)!
Lisa Champion has a master’s degree in exercise science and has worked at the forefront of the fitness industry in Australia for twenty years. She is the author of Riding from the Inside Out a book for equestrian athletes interested in improving their posture, core stability, flexibility and strength. To order your copy go to www.ridingfromtheinsideout.com