@theequestrianphysio: Contrary to popular belief, our backs are DESIGNED to bend. They are DESIGNED to handle load, transfer forces, absorb impact and generate a wide range of movement on their own. So why does traditional strength training lore, and equestrianism too, emphasize the myth of a “neutral spine”? “Don’t let your spine flex or you’ll wear out your discs…” “That amount of impact is a great way to destroy your back…” “My doctor said I had the spine of an 80 year old…” Even in the equestrian world, where it seems very counterintuitive to expect a body on a MOVING and BOUNCING horse to maintain stability with a ridged, “neutral” spine, that kind of language is emphasized all the time. It’s no secret that low back pain is one of the most prevalent conditions among riders, but sometimes I wonder… WHAT IF we don’t all have back pain because riding is “wearing out” our back, but instead we struggle with back pain because we haven’t PREPARED and EXPOSED our backs to HANDLE the kinds of movement and forces we’re forced to handle in the saddle? Think about it – if we NEVER practice flexing our spines under load, or training our backs to absorb impact in all kinds of ranges, then why do we expect to be able to handle it in the saddle? Spoiler alert, we can’t. So we get overloaded. Our tissues get pissed off. And we get pain. You can see it in the videos. I’m not even riding massive jumps or above average movers here, and I STILL need to move my spine a fair bit to absorb those forces and match the horses movement. But if we OVER-ENGINEER our backs to handle those forces - we build them to handle 2 or 3 times what we are exposed to in the saddle - then maybe, we’d all suffer from a little less back pain. Just a thought🤷🏻‍♀️ And also why I VERY INTENTIONALLY built these kinds of movements into every training program in the TEP Training App. If you’re looking for help with your own strength and fitness (or back pain) comment WAITLIST And I’ll send you the details!

Katie Wood,MSc, Reg.Physio🇨🇦

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Region: CA

Wednesday 09 July 2025 12:34:35 GMT