Alison King

LYMINGTON / NEW FOREST / HAMPSHIRE
Equipilates™ Biomechanics Trainer
www.alisonkingpilates.co.uk
07855 751591

Alison has been working in the fitness industry since 1992 as a personal trainer, group exercise instructor and Master Trainer. In 2006 she turned her focus to Pilates and trained in the STOTT method. Alison teaches Pilates on the mat, on the Reformer and to those who are rehabilitating from injuries. She currently works as an Associate Pilates Instructor at the Boyd Physiotherapy Practice in Lymington in addition to running group Pilates sessions in her local area. Passionate about the many benefits of Pilates and witnessing the results first hand through her loyal client base, she enjoys teaching the method to a wide variety of fitness levels and sporting backgrounds.
 
As a keen horse rider and Eventer Alison also teaches Pilates to fellow riders and riding instructors. In November 2015 she decided to combine her passion for Pilates and its link to helping improve horse rider position, influence and effectiveness still further by training to be an Equipilates™ Biomechanics Trainer™.

Having ridden and owned a pony as a child Alison only started horse riding again in 2009 after a 25+ year break. In 2010 she bought Valour, an 8 year old 16.2 KWPN with a big movement and even bigger personality. Needless to say it was a very steep learning curve and even though her riding skills were extremely rusty, she is convinced that the body awareness she has learned through Pilates and the core strength she has built up helped her in the early days and continues to help her enormously through her riding lessons as she aspires to be a better rider and improve the partnership she has with Valour.
 
Since training in Equipilates, Alison feels this method has had a further impact on her riding and her horse’s way of going. She recognises that whatever the level of rider and however many horses a person rides in a day, Equipilates can address rider comfort, mobility and core strength in addition to helping improve body awareness. She observes that there can often be a communication gap between instructor and rider, not only in body awareness but in an individual’s biomechanics.

For example, Extrinsic Biomechanics or Form refers to how a rider’s position and alignment looks on the outside. Your riding instructor picks up on this. Deviations from optimum alignment can be influenced by your intrinsic biomechanics or function. Intrinsic Biomechanics or Function refers to how your body is working on the inside whilst riding. Muscles, nerves and joints – are they working efficiently to allow you to sit effectively/evenly in the saddle? Are there any restrictions/muscle spasm? This can affect your ability to alter your riding position.
 
Alison and Valour currently compete in British Eventing, British Dressage and are members of New Forest Riding Club.

Alison Says: 

“Since training in Equipilates I feel the communication I have with my horse has never been better.

Our schooling sessions are more productive, our dressage scores are creeping up and I feel I can use my body more efficiently when jumping a particularly strong and enthusiastic horse!

​Completing my case studies has further convinced me about the relevance of the Equipilates method to both the happy hacker and the seasoned competitor and I am excited to be able to share this with individuals and groups going in to 2016!