Chukka Wellness: The Neck Shot

India Parker-Smith founded Chukka Wellness – a company dedicated to helping polo players become fitter and stronger athletes. For several years, India worked as a Personal Trainer at one of Chelsea’s premier private members’ clubs and began to train some of the world’s leading sportsmen and women.

India trains both international and UK polo professionals focusing not only on functional movements and body maintenance, but also advising clients on fuelling their bodies correctly for mental alertness and physical endurance.

In this series Chukka Wellness founder, India will be suggesting specific exercises required to complement each type of shot in polo to give players a more accurate, controlled and powerful swing ready for when they next jump back into the saddle.

India recommends adding in exercises that aim to stabilise the shoulder and hip joints, strengthen the surrounding muscles and improve core control

The Neck Shot

The Chukka Wellness polo-fitness series

Last month the winter arena season came to an abrupt halt all thanks to a second lockdown! Due to the lack of riding, players may have found their polo-fitness may have slipped slightly.

With this extra free time Chukka Wellness recommends players to use this down time to focus on their swing technique and apply exercises that simulate these movement patterns in to their fitness programme (along with the exercises suggested below you will also find lots more in our online equine membership hub).

Regular stretching and mobility combined with an element of resistance training would be the ultimate body maintenance programme to ensure players stay polo-fit and ready for the next season.

This type of shot requires

• Balance • Accuracy • Supple Torso • Strong Inner Thighs

Recommended Exercises (3 sets, 15-20 reps per exercise)

Slider Lateral Lunges (Inner thigh strength)

1. Grab a slider or folded towel and find a slippery surface 2. Start with feet close together and one foot planted on the slider/towel 3. Gently slide this foot away from you (keeping the leg fully extended) and drop down into a lateral lunge 4. Stay strong and stable through the planted leg (you should feel your glutes working to hold you in this position). 5. Gently slide the foot back towards the other leg finishing in standing position 6. You should feel your inner thighs activate as you pull your leg back to the start position.

Photography by Chukka Wellness

Squat with Lateral Leg Raise (Improves balance)

1. Start by lowering yourself down into a squat 2. As you push back up to standing lift one fully extended leg out to the side 3. Lean your torso over the planted leg and lift the other leg up Squat with Lateral Leg Raise

Foot Mallet Side Shuffles (Accuracy)

1. Grab a foot mallet, as many balls as you can and four cones. 2. Place two cones two metres apart from each other (set A) 3. Place the other two cones (set B) three metres infront of (set A) at half metre apart 4. Place a few balls at each cone (set A) and start by side stepping 4. Hold this position focusing on your balance 5. Lower the leg back down into another squat and repeat on the

other leg fast between the cones holding your foot mallet 5. Once you arrive at a cone hit the balls and try to score between the set B cones. 6. The idea is to keep the exercise moving and shuffle quickly between the set A cones scoring as many points as you

Thoracic Twists (Supple torso)

1. Start with feet hip width apart and soft knees 2. Bring your arms up to a 90-degree angle 3. Twist your arms and torso from one side to the other Thoracic Twists Chukka Wellness is a company dedicated to helping polo players become fitter and stronger athletes.

Their services include: • 1-2- 1 and team training in the Sussex and Surrey areas • Online Training (They have an array of clients all over the world) • Polo-Fitness Holidays and Clinics (Sotogrande, Dubai, Palm

Beach and Argentina) 4. Gradually open the arms up to full extension and increase the

amount of rotation.

CW have also recently launched a Virtual Equine Membership Hub where players can gain access to a range of polo-specific workouts, mobility routines, nutritional guidance and much more! ‘Train like a pro’ and check out the Virtual Equine Hub at:

www.chukkawellness.co.uk india@chukkawellness.co.uk

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