Sitting trot can feel impossibly jarring for people who are just learning it. In fact, it can feel pretty jarring no matter what level you’re at! I wasn’t a natural rider and even now, sitting the trot is WORK and it doesn’t feel easy or natural for my body. Sometimes I watch other people ride and it looks easy and effortless. There are ways to make sitting trot easier if we know how!
In today’s video, we’re looking at what MUSCLES to use to sit the trot with Ride Advanced Physio’s Dr. Stephanie Seheult.
When sitting the trot, it’s important not to clench DOWN or stiffen. We need the muscles that lift us up and keep us centered, flexible, and stable in the saddle. The Glute Med and the Transverse Abdominals are the ones that carry out this function, but the Transverse Abdominal is the main player in the sitting trot.
Here are three ways it helps us stay stable in the bouncing motion of the sitting trot.
- The transverse abdominal is the most important for trunk stability to get us the right balance between stiffness and wiggliness.
- It helps lift the trunk up, on each up-beat of the sitting trot.
- You can use each section of the transverse abdominals in the sitting trot so you’re not simply clenching like one board but using the muscles sectionally in the pattern of the trot.
Watch the video to see Stephanie explain in more detail and see me sitting the trot using the correct muscles and the incorrect ones.
