Am I fit enough to ride?
“a rider needs to be so much more than ‘fit’…”
What does a fit rider look like?
Usually when I get asked this question people are referring to their cardiovascular fitness, but a fit rider needs to be so much more than ‘fit’, they need to be strong, supple and balanced too. But as people want to know how fit they need to be cardiovascular(CV) wise I will touch a bit on the importance of CV work and the amount and type of CV work you should include in your rider fitness routine.
“Increases stamina, fitness & strength… ”
Benefits of cardiovascular training:
It would be unfair of us to expect our horses to take an unfit and unbalanced rider around an event, so what are some of the benefits of being ‘fit’?The benefits of CV training include:
.Boosts mood
.Strengthens the immune system
.Reduces chronic pain
.Aids sleep
.Increases stamina, fitness & strength
.Strengthens your heart muscle
The amount and type of CV work needed can vary from person to person depending on what they enjoy, what level they ride at and where they want to get too. Cardiovascular training is aerobic training meaning that it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be running 5k 3x per week, it can also be HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or Circuit training.
Physical activity guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity and 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity per week. The higher level you ride at the more ‘fit’ cardiovascular wise you need to be. Saying that, riders of all levels should be able to complete the minimum guidelines for CV fitness in order to help their horses and move better in the saddle. Higher level/professional riders will be fitter than the everyday horse owner with the number of horses they ride per day, but they too need to focus on their fitness out of the saddle.
I have created two HIIT workouts per week to include in my pre-season CRF plan. They are roughly 30 minutes long and suitable for everyone from people who are just starting their fitness journey’s to people who are highly active. You can adapt them to your fitness level. If you already do cardiovascular training such as running then you can keep going with that alongside the CRF plan.
I have chosen to use HIIT workouts rather than running for example as they are more inclusive as someone with knee issues may not be able to run, but HIIT is short, sweaty and effective.
How important is it to have a varied training plan?
Fitness can look different to different people and it is important to remember that others may prefer other types of training. For example, I absolutely love resistance training. I find it super rewarding and good for my mental health. I personally don’t particularly enjoy cardiovascular exercise, so to make it work for me I do HIIT instead of going for a long run.
It is super important to remember cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance and mobility are ALL equally important for riding. You need to be able to flow with the horses natural movement while being able to remain stable and correct in the saddle. If you don’t work on your cardiovascular fitness you are likely to be unbalanced and inhibit the horses movement when you get tired. This is extremely common and visible in sitting trot- we’ve all been there, it’s not comfy for you or the horse.
Mobility work is key for rider fitness. You need to have a good range of motion to be able to perform resistance training safely and correctly and improving your mobility will allow you to perform your daily activities at ease. (if you already do mobility work such as pilates or yoga, I highly recommend you keep these going alongside your Core Rider Fitness plan).
You might be wondering how on earth do you train balance? Doing unilateral or single leg/arm as well as coordination exercises such as bird dogs will help to improve your balance.
The exercises that I have chosen to include in the CRF Pre-season plan are designed to benefit all types of training to improve performance in the saddle.
Find a type of cardiovascular exercise that you enjoy and let it compliment your strength, balance, and mobility work to notice the benefits both in and out of the saddle.
Flow with your horses natural movement while being able to stay balanced and correct in the saddle.
Contact me about programs to help give you and your horse a more balanced ride!
X Lucy
