Generally, buying your wife
a piece of exercise equipment is something done by the oblivious or
suicidal, but last year for my birthday I asked for a kettle-bell and
my husband nervously delivered. For those not familiar with what a kettle-bell is, it's essentially a cannonball with a handle, and is a great tool for getting strong and toned. The reason I love my kettle-bell so much is because it builds functional strength, and by that I mean it engages several muscle groups at a time, giving you strength you can use instead of tone that just looks pretty. After using my kettle-bell for awhile, I started to feel stronger in the saddle, so today I'm going to share some of the exercises that helped my riding the most.
Two-handed swing: Do you have issues engaging your hamstrings to get your leg back and underneath yourself? This exercise is for you! Start with your feet slightly wider apart than shoulder-width. Hold the kettle-bell with both hands and then push up from your heels and quickly contract your hamstrings and glutes to pop your hips forward. Aside from being great for your low back, hamstrings, and glutes, 2-5 mins of two-handed swings will really get your heart pumping!
Two-handed swing: Do you have issues engaging your hamstrings to get your leg back and underneath yourself? This exercise is for you! Start with your feet slightly wider apart than shoulder-width. Hold the kettle-bell with both hands and then push up from your heels and quickly contract your hamstrings and glutes to pop your hips forward. Aside from being great for your low back, hamstrings, and glutes, 2-5 mins of two-handed swings will really get your heart pumping!
Around the world: One of the more difficult things we do as riders is to stabilize our bodies so that we are able to stay still despite the fact we have a bouncing horse underneath us. In this exercise we swing the kettle-bell around our bodies, passing it from hand to hand, and use virtually every muscle in our body to stabilize against the centrifugal force.
Abdominal twists: Those of us familiar with the sitting trot know that our core can NEVER be too strong. This is one of my all time favorite abdominal exercises, and I guarantee you will feel the burn! Sit with your feet flat on the floor and hold the kettle-bell with both hands. Lean back until you feel your abdominals begin to tighten, and then twist from side to side.
Why wait for your New Year's resolution to start exercising when you can ring in the holidays, kettle-bell style! I know. I know. That pun was terrible, but I can't help myself.
Be sure to check out the Fit to Ride Facebook page to get our weekly workout challenges and submit your health and fitness questions (#askarabbit).
Go riding!
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