Thanks to all the new posts. I really appreciate everyone’s advice! I have gotten some yoga dvds and I’m continuing to do my full PT program (about 30 mins). Trying to walk every day too. I have good days and bad days when riding - some days I fatigue pretty much immediately, some I feel strong the whole time. I don’t ride for more than 35 mins, including warm up/ cool down time. I will be taking a lesson every other week with an instructor to make sure I’m not totally messing up, lol. HipNo34, I’m so happy you are taking the dive back in. Its super scary but also really great. I, like you, kept waiting for evverything to line up perfectly and realized it wasn’t going to happen. I really hope all goes well for you and please keep me/us posted on everything! : )
Yoga and pilates, with the approval of your doctor and PT. And be patient! Enjoy your progress, rather than stressing about the end goal.
I think it’s true that people who can ride multiple horses daily can probably get away with not doing other fitness work. However, for amateurs with desk jobs, off-horse work can not only have a big positive effect, it’s nearly essential to optimize the saddle time we do get. Seems that is being recognized more and more, and we’re getting better at designing the right types of fitness programs.
Pilates. Cardio of your choice.
yoga and equipment Pilates… and somethng for cardio. That works for me…
Agreed. And I would argue that the person riding multiple horses a day is probably weak somewhere and should consider cross-training. Most athletes are strong in the areas that benefit their sport, and can be dangerously weak in other directions, which makes them prone to other injuries.
I’ve been back for a little less than a year now.
Prior to returning to riding, I lifted pretty regularly (barbells–bench, squat, deadlift), but did very little cardio. Since returning, I’ve flipped that, and it’s made a huge difference. I’ve been doing the Maffetone protocol (180 - your age = max heart rate, subtract another 5 or 10 dependent on your specific parameters and how active you’ve been, stay within 10 bpm on the low side) 3-4x a week. I mostly use the rower, but you can use anything you have–elliptical, [stationary] bike, even your feet walking or running.
I have also been starting to work on hip flexibility and general flexibility, which doesn’t help with fitness but which makes a huge difference in my riding.
On the horse: two-point, posting trot without stirrups, anything without stirrups, two-up one-down posting trot, etc. And as much saddle time as you can get, of course.
I do think I’m at the point where I need to add strength work back, and will be doing that pretty soon. But the rower and the stretching has made a huge, huge difference!
Finally, regarding the back issues, I had pretty bad ones for a bit some years ago to the point where surgery and injections were being mentioned as possibilities. I couldn’t tie my shoes without excruciating pain, and this was while on muscle relaxers and doing PT regularly. In my case, the issue was an incredibly tight piriformis muscle that was pulling everything else out of whack, and working on it several times a day with a lacrosse ball fixed me completely. I still have to do maintenance work on the piriformis (lacrosse ball, stretches, and the odd really vicious massage–if you don’t want to punch the therapist, it’s not hard enough!) but it’s never been as bad as it was. Obviously this might not be your issue, but I mention it because few people know this can be the problem with nonspecific low back pain!
Fun and thought provoking!
Wow, she’s even more awesome than I used to think. 
