Luke Lewitzke

Certified A.C.E. (American Counsel on Exercise) Personal Trainer

Weight and Lifestyle Management Specialist

• On your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, slowly draw small circles with one knee.
• Make sure to draw the circle in both directions as if you are swinging your leg to get on and off a horse.
• Focus on maintaining a strong, neutral core and level hips.
• Perform 10 repetitions each direction for 2 sets.

Muscles Worked

The Quadruped On/Off the Horse exercise is a great way to not only strengthen your hip abductors, glutes, and lower back, but you will also work on improving your hip mobility.  At the same time, you will also build some shoulder strength to help stabilize your shoulder joint.

Modifications

If you are having trouble maintaining level hips or if kneeling is a little uncomfortable, try placing a pillow under your non-moving knee to pad your knee and elevate your stabilizing hip to allow for greater freedom of movement in the other leg.  If you have discomfort in your wrists, simply make a fist and place your knuckles on the floor, keeping your wrists straight.  Finally, if your shoulders start to fatigue, you can perform the exercise on your forearms.  This will lessen the amount of work the shoulders have to do to stabilize the upper body.  Just make sure that you still maintain a neutral spine as your hips will now be slightly higher than your shoulders.

• Standing tall, place your hands on the wall to aid in balance and help support the spine. 
• Make small circles with your knee, gradually getting bigger with every circle but keeping within a comfortable range of motion. 
• Maintain a strong, engaged core and level shoulders and hips.
• Perform 10 circles each direction on each leg and then repeat.

If you are unable to kneel for any reason, the Standing Hip Circles are a great alternative to the Kneeling On/Off the Horse.  By performing this exercise, you will also work on improving your balance.  As you progress and feel more confident with your balance, try using the wall as little as possible.

Contraindications

• If you can not kneel for any reason, perform the standing hip circles.
• If you have any pain/discomfort in your shoulders, perform the standing hip circles or try lowering down on your forearms.
• If you experience any hip or low back pain/discomfort while performing the exercise, stop.