ASK HQ

Q: I tend to hunch in the saddle, which I think is related to my poor posture at my desk at work. How can I fix this?

A: This problem is often due to a lack of physical training away from riding. For example, if you hunch over your computer at work, you’re ‘training’ your muscles into a very bad posture. If you don’t train to combat this, you are likely to adopt this posture more and more.

At a minimum, try to spend a few minutes every hour that you’re sitting at your desk, rolling your shoulders back to pull yourself up into a good posture. This will help stretch and release the tension.

During the rest of the day, try to pay attention to times you are standing or sitting hunched over. Look up and straighten your back when you notice you are hunched, to try and break the movement patterns and train the correct posture that you need for riding.

If you have the time, trying another form of exercise that focuses more on posture, such as yoga, would also be a good idea. This will help build your awareness and strengthen the relevant muscles to prevent slouching.

Finally, in the saddle, ask your instructor to be ruthless in correcting your posture. If she sees even a hint of a hunch, she must tell you so that you become aware of when your body is slipping back into old patterns.