The Hidden Way Postural Changes Drain Your Rider Stamina and Fitness
Office Posture Draining Your Energy and Affecting Your Riding?
For many years, I notice and hear (sorry I do!) how quickly some owners get out of breath when asked to trot their horse up for movement observation. I bear in mind some owners really concentrate and hold their breath when I ask them to do this, others may feel nervous about being watched, even though it’s the horse’s movement I am focused on (honestly!). But did you know that your office setup could be sabotaging not just your posture and riding performance, but also affecting your breathing, and health? And it doesn’t have to be that way!
How Desk Posture Impacts Breathing, Energy Levels, and Riding
Do you spend hours at a desk and have stiffness and restriction in the saddle? Many riders I meet spend a significant amount of time on their computer and/or phone, leading to prolonged periods of inactivity. Often in one position or a slight variation of it. The stereotypical forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and arms rolled inward while the elbows draw out are what you can visibly see. However, there’s a lot you can’t see, and it’s affecting your whole body.
This leads to aches, pains, stiffness, weakness, and difficulty with movements that once felt easy. And these changes in the body translate into many riding problems. Here’s the thing postural changes are sneaky. They silently creep up on you, starting as a subtle niggle and progressing to constant pain. The good news? They’re preventable and reversible!
How Office Work Affects Your Rib Cage and Breathing
Today, I’m going to focus on the effects of your rib cage and breathing. When your head moves forward toward the screen:
You begin living on the front of your neck, while the muscles at the back of your neck contract and weaken.
Your head draws your shoulders along for the ride, drawing them upward and affecting their musculature, as well as the muscles that connect to and extend from them.
So, you begin to see how a small change in head posture affects the entire body.
Your arms roll inward, causing the chest muscles to tighten and weaken.
Your rib cage alignment shifts, which impacts your diaphragm.
Thrusting rib cage upwards
Rider Breathing Mechanic And Fatigue
You can see how this snowball of changes affect your breathing mechanics. Leading to faster fatigue when you ride, and in your everyday life. The postural changes also impact your core strength, the joints of the spine and how the ribs articulate with them. Restricted breathing lowers oxygen intake, which brings quicker muscle fatigue. Which leads to tension, making it very hard for you to stay balanced, effective and soft in the saddle.
Many riders compensate for poor posture by rib thrusting all day long, believing it creates good, upright "posture" from traditional riding corrections. However, displacing the rib cage in this way only creates the illusion of being upright. And places pressure on the lower spine, the diaphragm and much more. Often, when working with riders, they know how hunched (kyphotic) their posture has become. And try to hide it by thrusting their ribs upwards which brings another set of problems. And postural changes really show up when we ride.
Ribcage dropping down and forward, often caused by desk height
Rider Posture, Breathing and Asthma
Asthma, back pain, and anxiety can all be worsened by postural changes that affect your breathing mechanics. Existing stiffness and asymmetries may also be felt more.
I recently worked with a rider who has asthma. By improving his rib cage positioning and breathwork, we saw a remarkable boost in his stamina and breath control. This is a powerful example of how correcting alignment can lead to better riding performance and overall health. Now, I know there are many aspects to managing this condition, but I focused on the mechanics of the structures around the rib cage. How can we get them working to their optimum to help the respiratory system.
This rider’s rib cage was being drawn in multiple directions, as the photo shows. At first, he struggled to feel and connect with the rib cage, which is very common. As riders, we have the advantage of body awareness, much like when we ride; he began to feel and correct his rib cage alignment. Which over time, will become a subconscious habit and then the alignment will become this riders norm.
Together, we worked to identify the root causes behind this. And working things out what does and doesn’t feel right is an important part of the process. We then connected these insights with other parts of the body!
Aligned ribcage
Increasing Riding Stamina
But what was particularly interesting during the breathing exercises was that when the rider was aligned (in a natural, unforced position), the hardest part was often allowing the ribs to relax down after years of being thrust upwards. Yet, the difference was remarkable—how much more breath this rider had, the extended length of the out-breath, and how it could be felt moving down through the ribs, abdomen, and hips.
By practicing alignment and breathing techniques, you can improve your riding stamina. Proper alignment allows for deeper, more effective breaths, leading to better endurance, control, and relaxation in the saddle.
Your Posture Affects every part of your body!
Remember, poor external posture affects your internal systems, directly impacting their function and your overall health. The good news is that your body is highly adaptable. It has changed into this shape due to the positions and movements you repeat daily, and it can adapt back! Your posture isn’t set in stone. No matter your age, you can improve your funtional alignment. This isn’t a visual goal; it’s about restoring your actual alignment, leading to better movement, improved health, and enhanced riding skills.
How to Counteract Desk Work’s Impact on Riding and body
Your body and horse will thank you for this framework of tips and exercises.
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“From Screen Time to Saddle Time”
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