Horseback

We're here for horseback on the reformer. Horseback on the reformer is the long box exercise. We have that box up in the long position. We are on one red spring. Make sure that your box is centered between your shoulder rests And, you know, you'll see this exercise hot with the handles as I'll show it or with the longer loop.

Sometimes it's a matter of proportion and arm length with people. My arms are a little bit short. For me, when I pull on the handle, which is a little shorter than when you put the long strap on, the foot strap, it makes sense for my proportion. If you feel like that's too short, you're gonna play with the strap. We have options, right? So you'll place your hands in the handles.

The challenge too is to be able to get up on the box keeping it centered. You'll place yourself with one fist width behind you and the end of the box. Alright. Firstly is the shape of the spine that we're trying to work to get, which is flexion. Palms are face up, wrap your hand in your handle, start with your elbows quite close to you and your feet inflection.

Legs are squeezing the box. So it's inner thighs and hamstrings. It really think big magic circle, like the box is a big, big, big magic circle that you're engaging. Now as you're engaging the box and your legs, This is just about leg exercises. It is arms and upper body.

So the first few demonstrations here, I'm going to just reach the arms forward. Point your toes and bring your ribs behind you. We want the shoulders down, and we're inflection of our spine. Reverse the arms, bring them back in, ankles, inflection. Do it again. Let's breathe in and prepare.

Wh exhale. Point the toes. Squeeze the box, reach the arms forward, and bring your ribs behind you in flexion. I'm trying to work toward getting the bum off the box. K? So if everything about the legs and the upper body together, the spinal shape comes to flexion. Now as you're endeavoring to come up off the box a little bit, arms come up and stomach comes back more and then you sit back down, flex.

Let's take a couple more. So we reach the arms forward. Bring the ribs back. Engage your legs down and in. Lift your hips up.

And for a moment, you're up off your horse saddle. Pull your ribs back, sit back down. Let's go for one more. Breathing in. And the main thing everybody is getting that spine shape So one more without the hip lift is to get the ribs back, the arms in front of us, and the contraction of the abdominals.

I know that the hip lift will come once you practice the arms and the spine shape in your horseback exercise.