Pie and latte's?

As well as being a Chartered physiotherapist and qualified to treat humans and animals, I am also a qualified Clinical Pilates class instructor with the Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute (APPI). As part of my human clinic work I regularly prescribe physio modified pilates exercises in the rehabilitation of a wide variety of problems, from back pain, to shoulder pain to enhancing athletic performance.

Pilates was originally designed with the athlete in mind by Joseph Pilates. Joseph Pilates was a sickly child and which was frequently highlighted to him. He decided to train hard to overcome his physical limitations and in doing so designed a set of exercises which was later applied to athletes and dancers. He and his wife (a ballerina) also worked closely with the New York Ballet applying their exercises. Although the original pilates exercises have many benefits they were also not designed for people with clinical conditions as Joseph Pilates was not a physiotherapist/ biologist/ physiologist/ exercise scientist etc. The founders of the APPI took the core pilates exercises and modified them using physiotherapy knowledge for clinical populations, and reduced the potential risks from some of the high velocity and long lever exercises from Joseph Pilates’ original exercises – which you certainly wouldn’t advocate for people with a hint of back or neck pain!

What I find particularly exciting about the APPI pilates method is that they go beyond matwork and have diversified into specific populations of people and sports disciplines, delivering highly tailored pilates training. I myself have experienced the benefits of applying the APPI pilates principles to my riding. Control of your core is important in everyday life, from walking down the street, to mucking out, running, riding, if you’re pregnant or have had children, training your core and providing a stable base of control for your peripheral limbs can reduce pain, rehabilitate movement dysfunction and enhance athletic performance. Control of the pelvis and the spine is key in healthy movement! Chartered physiotherapists frequently start with pelvic control in the rehabilitation of neurological conditions for example stroke – yes, this is the extreme end of the spectrum – but great lessons on the importance of pelvic control can be learnt for dynamic stability and function in healthy populations. We must be able to sit, in order to rise and then walk.

QUESTION (for the over 18’s!) Have you ever given a drunk person a piggy back?! Or a wriggly toddler/friend?

If you have, it is not the nicest feeling and its surprising how quickly you tire and get sore (and irritable)! Just imagine being a horse and carrying an unbalanced rider for a moment; confused aids, uneven weight distribution, feeling unbalanced yourself, pain… But it is not just about balance when in the saddle. Do you have an asymmetrical posture on land? Do you have an injury or a weakness? Land based asymmetries and injuries can inevitably have an impact on your effectiveness in the saddle. Having control of our own bodies and maintaining a symmetrical position is much more comfortable, kinder, and clearer for your horse, as well as more energy efficient for you in the long term.

The influence of the horse and the rider on EACH OTHER cannot be underestimated. The rider can cause musculoskeletal problems in the horse, just like the reverse could be true. Where APPI pilates can help, with a qualified instructor, is with individual exercises programmes or group classes designed to align, strengthen and gain control of the core.
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Engage Physiotherapy are trained in APPI pilates for horse riders, with specific modifications to the exercises designed to enhance the riding position and rider effectiveness, be you a dressage enthusiast, showjumper, eventer, jockey or a happy hacker just wanting to do the best for your horse. If you would like a personal, horse or joint horse and rider assessment and individual treatment and training programme get in touch.