Desk Jockey Dressage Diva: Stretch out the Psoas

My tight hips are the primary cause of some major riding position issues. As with anyone slaving away at a computer desk everyday in order to afford horses, I have incredibly tight hip flexors. This gives me the tendency to ride in a "chair seat" (with my legs a bit in front of me) or will cause me to tilt my upper body forward like a hunter/jumper rider to close my hips to a more comfortable angle. This causes my pelvis to tilt forward, directly diminishing the effectiveness of my seat.

My psoas muscles are so incredibly contracted that trying to stretch them out while in the saddle only causes painful spasms, so I have to do my hip stretching off the horse. While I haven't found the magical cure to releasing hip tightness, there are some things that have helped some.

• My physical therapist recommends getting up from the computer and walking around for a minute or two every hour.
• Using a foam roller can help loosen up some of the tight area... but is not very comfortable. I do this at least 1-2 times per week.

                                  

• Here is a great video sequence of most of the yoga stretches I use daily: