Not to brag or anything, but horseback riders always have the best lookin' booties. We also have super-toned "riding muscles" - the lower and upper leg, abdomen, and back. To some degree, you have to be strong or else you'll fall off and be eating dirt.
Over the past few years, I have come to appreciate that proper riding requires an incredible amount of cardiovascular ability, core strength, lower body strength, and balance. After all, you are solely using your legs and core balance to stay on a very bouncy animal! What happens if you don't have the necessary strength? Well...this:
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| Whoops! But I stayed on... |
Aside from my hour-long riding lesson twice per week, I try to go to the gym for strength training and to row (I freaking love rowing!). What do I do the rest of the time? I attempt to do some sort of activity.
I get bored really fast, so I look for little routines to change up my workout. My favorite website for finding workouts is Back On Pointe, but sometimes I like to pretend I'm just as cool as they are and come up with my own.
Each of the strength workouts target your core abdominal, back, thigh, chest, or shoulder muscles. It's a great way to get your posture back in shape and build endurance! If any part of the workout is too intense, try modifying it to suit your specific needs. For example, if you can't do 50 squats yet, try 10 and build up from there.
The cardio workout lasts 20 minutes, and will be approximately 1 mile in distance. I chose interval training for this for the increased cardiovascular benefit, and to mimic the bursts of intensity that you experience when riding at different gaits (or speeds). If walking and jogging is too easy, then increase the intensity of each 30 second interval.
Thanks for reading! What do you do to get in shape for your sport or activity of choice?
- Maggie White
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