Rider-specific fitness training has become an increasingly popular trend among athletes. Many riders have discovered that investing in an intensive fitness program focused on core strength and stability, hip flexibility and balance and overall muscle strength has a substantial effect on their riding performance.
This workout will also help prevent inner thigh cramping that often arises upon returning to riding after an extended absence.
Endurance
Riding requires both cardiovascular and strength conditioning. While schooling exercises like grids and patterns may help develop your riding, they cannot provide the high-intensity workout needed for competition endurance training. Therefore, supplement your horseback riding workout with off-horse exercises such as core workouts.
Fit riders tend to be safer, more confident, and happier riders – they feel lighter on their horse thanks to good posture and core muscles – studies indicate this effect by up to 30%!
At the core of any effective equestrian training is cardiovascular fitness, which you can achieve by including regular cardiovascular exercises as part of your routine equestrian training routine. Doing cardio exercises regularly will increase endurance so you can keep up with the horse when they run. Incorporating push-ups or arm and shoulder strengthening exercises into endurance training routine is also beneficial; while hip mobility and balance training through planks or hip CARs exercises is equally essential to ensure optimal posture and balance while riding your horse.
As with any sport, setting realistic goals when beginning an endurance training program is key to making sure you don’t overexert yourself or overdo things. A coach or physiotherapist could be invaluable when developing an individualised program tailored specifically to your individual needs and goals.
No matter if they compete in dressage, eventing or jumping competition, equestrians need to remain physically in peak condition in order to compete successfully. In order to become the best athlete possible, taking an all-encompassing approach to training such as physical fitness training, mental focus development, riding practice sessions and horse care should all form part of a holistic training regiment.
At all levels of sports, athletes must be extremely honest when setting goals – this holds particularly true for equestrians. To effectively pursue improvement, finding an impartial physiotherapist or trainer who can assess both your strengths and weaknesses and give objective feedback about progress is imperative.
Strength
As an effective horse rider, one needs strong and balanced muscles – particularly core strength, hip stability and flexibility – in order to be an effective horseback rider. Exercise workouts that target these areas can make a huge difference in riding processes; however it must be remembered that exercising will never replace actual riding sessions and improving communication with horses.
People generally associate riding with low-intensity cardio and long-hold muscle activation. But competitive riders require high levels of both cardiovascular fitness and strength. Although regular schooling may help, strength gains should ideally come through off-horse training with targeted exercises.
Building upper body strength is also vitally important for equestrians, and one effective and simple exercise for this is the push-up. To perform it effectively, one should get on their hands and knees, positioning their arms directly under their shoulders and knees directly under their hips; slowly lower themselves until almost touching the ground before returning back up to starting position and repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Equestrians need strong leg and foot strength. Walking lunges are an effective way to build it while raising heart rate and improving cardiovascular health – two aspects which will assist riders on any ride. To do a walking lunge, stand with feet hip-width apart, step forward with one leg at a time until your left knee reaches 90-degree angle before stopping before touching the floor; repeat this on both sides.
Finally, it is crucial for equestrians to build strong abdominal muscles. Crunches, oblique twists and bridges can all help build up these essential abdominal muscles as well as improve balance and posture.
While it is essential to train for specific activities and muscle groups involved in sports or competitions, training smart can also be just as essential. People often develop unneeded bulky muscles that increase load on joints while slowing the rate at which a muscle contracts.
Flexibility
Riding requires both physical strength and balance, making training the body of an equestrian crucial in becoming an efficient rider and minimizing injury risks. Therefore, workout routines aimed at building core leg strength as well as flexibility should be used for effective training of their bodies in order to enhance riding capabilities while decreasing risk.
In the beginning stages of any training program, cardiovascular endurance must first be developed through exercises such as walking, jogging or cycling. Doing these activities regularly will improve a rider’s ability to keep their heart rate within an ideal range for riding as well as reduce breathing issues.
Once a horse has reached peak fitness, their trainer can start increasing intensity of exercises like trotting or slow gallops to increase frequency and duration as it gets closer to reaching optimal performance levels. Working closely with a physiotherapist or professional trainer could be advantageous in creating an appropriate conditioning program.
As competition season nears, it is wise to allow ample recovery time between exercise sessions in order to prevent overtraining and fatigue as well as give horses time for rest and recuperation from rigorous training regimens.
But it’s equally essential for competitors to stay active throughout the competition season by exercising regularly with their horse(s). How often you exercise will depend on both its type and frequency of competition; exercise should remain at a level sufficient to keep them fit for competition.
Cross-training should be part of a competitive adult athlete’s weekly regimen, taking place three to four times each week and on an ongoing basis. Cross-training sessions should focus on core strength development, muscle symmetry and balance development, flexibility training and cardiovascular endurance development.
Balance
Riding requires physical strength, balance and control – whether competing in dressage, events or jumping events or simply riding for fun – fitness is essential to improving performance in the saddle. Most equestrians spend their time getting their horses fit; but riders should prioritize their own fitness too by adding exercise workouts into their routine which can help achieve greater balance, strengthen core muscles and build endurance – ultimately improving performance in the saddle.
Push-ups, plank holds and Russian twists can help develop upper body, core and leg muscles crucial to having a comfortable rider seat in the saddle. In addition, walking lunges will strengthen quads, hamstrings and calves. Walking lunges also strengthen quads, hamstrings and calves while the opposite arm and leg lift is an effective core and leg strengthening exercise; to perform it simply get on your hands and knees with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips before lifting both arms/legs simultaneously for several seconds before returning them back down before repeating for several sets of 8-12 reps per arm/leg combination.
Integrating balance training into your riding regimen will not only increase your balance in the saddle, but will also strengthen communication between horse and rider and foster an enduring bond between them. Andy Moorman uses various balance exercises such as posting rhythms and riding without stirrups to train her students’ feel for their horses and develop their feel of balance – helping them remain centered over its center of gravity during turns or jumps while remaining balanced over the center of gravity of their mount.
Equestrians require cardiovascular fitness in order to handle long periods of low intensity cardio work during training sessions and high bursts of intensity when competing. You can add cardiovascular training into your workout regimen easily by simply walking or jogging around your local block, or joining one of the Federation Equestre Internationale’s Ride Fit Life classes.
