Move
Posture Deep Dive: Horse Pose
A staple in pretty much every barre3 workout, Horse Pose challenges your entire lower body from the waist down. To make sure you’re reaping all of the rewards from this move, barre3 Lead Instructor Shannon McClintock explains how to properly execute—and modify—the pose to best meet your needs.
The Benefits of Horse Pose
Horse Pose is a great way to simultaneously fire up muscles in your glutes and legs, while still maintaining an upright spine. Most people think of Horse Pose predominantly as a leg move, but it’s also a major butt burner. When it’s performed correctly, you don’t just notice shakes and quakes in your quads and hamstrings—you feel it deep in your seat, too. Strengthening these power muscles could boost your metabolism and improve how you perform even the most basic everyday activities, such as walking and biking.
How to Set it Up
Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out to sides (think 10 and 2 on a clock). Sink your seat straight down, keeping your hips square, shoulders soft, and abs engaged, and hold. Continue to push through all four corners of your feet, keep your knees tracking over your ankles (you should still be able to see your big toes), and press your thighs back.
Common Do’s and Don’ts
Making even the slightest adjustments while you’re in Horse Pose can make a big difference. Here are some do’s and don’ts that will help set you up for success.
DO: Work in a more narrow stance if you have tight hips or notice your knees pushing forward and tracking over your toes. Shift your focus to lengthening your inner thighs and shortening your outer thighs, which causes you to automatically engage your seat and press your knees back (without tension).
DON’T: Step your feet too wide, causing your knees to buckle inward. This puts a lot of strain and torque on the knee joint. Your knees and ankles should be aligned, and you should always be able to see your big toes.
DO: Imagine zipping the front of your ribs together. Following that simple cue will not only help you engage your abs, but it will also make it easier to align your hips with your shoulders.
DON’T: Let your ribs pop out and/or let your seat stick out behind you. If this happens, it becomes difficult to actually engage your abs or push your thighs back and properly engage your seat.
DO: Maintain a neutral spine, letting the natural curve of your back come through. This allows your hip flexors to shut off and your glutes to engage. Practice while standing sideways in front of a mirror—you’ll see the difference it makes in your posture.
DON’T: Tuck your pelvis, which puts your hip flexors and glutes in a “gripping” state, making it very difficult for them to fire properly.
MODIFY THIS MOVE
If Horse Pose Causes Any Negative Pain: Either work higher, so you don’t come down quite as low with your hips, with your feet closer in together, or simply perform its cousin, the Sumo Squat, instead.
If you want to take Horse Pose Turbo: Work on dropping your hips lower and really firing your glutes as you press into all four corners of your feet.
Ready for a more empowered you?
A staple in pretty much every barre3 workout, Horse Pose challenges your entire lower body from the waist down. To make sure you’re reaping all of the rewards from this move, barre3 Lead Instructor Shannon McClintock explains how to properly execute—and modify—the pose to best meet your needs.
The Benefits of Horse Pose
Horse Pose is a great way to simultaneously fire up muscles in your glutes and legs, while still maintaining an upright spine. Most people think of Horse Pose predominantly as a leg move, but it’s also a major butt burner. When it’s performed correctly, you don’t just notice shakes and quakes in your quads and hamstrings—you feel it deep in your seat, too. Strengthening these power muscles could boost your metabolism and improve how you perform even the most basic everyday activities, such as walking and biking.
How to Set it Up
Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out to sides (think 10 and 2 on a clock). Sink your seat straight down, keeping your hips square, shoulders soft, and abs engaged, and hold. Continue to push through all four corners of your feet, keep your knees tracking over your ankles (you should still be able to see your big toes), and press your thighs back.
Common Do’s and Don’ts
Making even the slightest adjustments while you’re in Horse Pose can make a big difference. Here are some do’s and don’ts that will help set you up for success.
DO: Work in a more narrow stance if you have tight hips or notice your knees pushing forward and tracking over your toes. Shift your focus to lengthening your inner thighs and shortening your outer thighs, which causes you to automatically engage your seat and press your knees back (without tension).
DON’T: Step your feet too wide, causing your knees to buckle inward. This puts a lot of strain and torque on the knee joint. Your knees and ankles should be aligned, and you should always be able to see your big toes.
DO: Imagine zipping the front of your ribs together. Following that simple cue will not only help you engage your abs, but it will also make it easier to align your hips with your shoulders.
DON’T: Let your ribs pop out and/or let your seat stick out behind you. If this happens, it becomes difficult to actually engage your abs or push your thighs back and properly engage your seat.
DO: Maintain a neutral spine, letting the natural curve of your back come through. This allows your hip flexors to shut off and your glutes to engage. Practice while standing sideways in front of a mirror—you’ll see the difference it makes in your posture.
DON’T: Tuck your pelvis, which puts your hip flexors and glutes in a “gripping” state, making it very difficult for them to fire properly.
MODIFY THIS MOVE
If Horse Pose Causes Any Negative Pain: Either work higher, so you don’t come down quite as low with your hips, with your feet closer in together, or simply perform its cousin, the Sumo Squat, instead.
If you want to take Horse Pose Turbo: Work on dropping your hips lower and really firing your glutes as you press into all four corners of your feet.
Ready for a more empowered you?
