Ride with the Wind: 1.3. Core stabilisation and balance

Thursday 1 January 2009

1.3. Core stabilisation and balance

Balance has often been less emphasised than the common health related components of fitness: cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular endurance (ACSM, 2005). Comparison is made between these health-related against the athletic ability components of physical fitness such as balance, reaction time, coordination, agility, speed and power in ACSM’s Health Related Physical Fitness Assessment Manual (2005). However, it is quoted that “The five health-related components of physical fitness are more important to public health than are the components related to athletic ability”. Yet, balance and its relation to core stability in providing a strong spinal foundation for functional performance is important for public health in the prevention of acute and chronic back problems that arise from daily habitual practices and sedentary lifestyles.

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Anonymous said...: "Yet, balance and its relation to core stability in providing a strong spinal foundation for functional performance is important for public health in the prevention of acute and chronic back problems that arise from daily habitual practices and sedentary lifestyles."

Nice. But how does one train for balance? Vestibular, visual and proprioceptive exercises. Check out http://jp.physoc.org/content/478/Pt_1/173.abstract; 2 May 2009 at 07:13

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"Won't Know what we don't Know till we Know It", YS Lee-Archer, 2003

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Horseback riding is often perceived as a low metabolic physical activity. Although used for rehabilitation and therapeutic intervention, it is often considered a competitive sport with high injury and mortality rates. This research investigated horseback riding as a physical activity for health fitness. It compared levels of fitness components between riders (RD) and non-riders (NR) of which the latter comprised subjects who participated in other forms of exercise and accounted for these differences with the design and development of a horseback riding program for health fitness in accordance with established guidelines for health fitness prescription and safety. Methods: 2 groups of non-randomized heterogeneous subjects (N=56) aged > 18 years from Malaysia and France participated in this research. Groups comprised riders (RD) (n=31) from riding clubs and non-riders who engaged in accumulated > 90 minute weekly exercise sessions (NR) (n=25). Subjects were tested to measure various components indicating their health status and accomplished fitness levels included resting heart rate (RHR), resting blood pressure (RBP), waist to hip ratio (WHR), postural analysis (PA), body composition (BF), reactive balance (RB) for core stability, cardiovascular fitness (MOU), muscular endurance (ME) of the shoulder horizontal adductors and elbow extensors, integrated hip and lumbar joint flexibility (ROM), static muscular endurance (SME) of the hip and knee extensors and reactive muscular endurance of the core stabilizers. Independent samples t-test analysis were used to investigate differences. Results: Independent samples t-test and ANOVA analysis indicated insignificant differences in all variables with the exception of bilateral horizontal shoulder alignment (p<0.05) between RD and NR with the RD group indicating greater bilateral postural symmetry over the NR group. This suggests that horseback riding produces and enhances symmetrical development of bilateral postural musculature while providing the desired effects required for health fitness. Conclusion: Information generated from case control research findings have resulted in the design and development of a horseback riding program for health fitness. This program provides an opportunity to improve fitness levels through interactive exercise with a domesticated animal that has been used for centuries for farming, transportation and sporting work. It also suggests and supports horseback riding as an alternative form of physical activity that may be undertaken for health fitness goals rather than predominantly a competitive sport as well as a precursor training program to enhance the elite skill development for those in pursuit of competitive sport performance.

Key words: core stability, weight control, bilateral symmetry, proprioceptive neuromuscular, posture, reactive balance, static muscular endurance.

Ride with the Wind

Thursday 1 January 2009

1.3. Core stabilisation and balance

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"Won't Know what we don't Know till we Know It", YS Lee-Archer, 2003