MAY 2012 THE RIDER /15 Fitness for Riders: Springtime Training Tips
balanced posture in spite of con- stant changes in the base under them.
The days are lengthening, horses are shedding, and you might be thinking about getting kicking up your riding schedule in preparation for the summer or competition. You may even be thinking about your own fitness now that the outdoors is calling. Several issue back, we looked at designing a training plan for helping you gear up to this time of year. The first three months of the year are about lay- ing down a foundation. March through May are where you are fine tuning and getting ready for competition, or just getting everything in place so you can take full advantage of all that summer has to offer. Especially for mature riders, taking the time to lay down a foundation of fit- ness and joint stability is really important. There is no quick shortcut to better bone density, reduced strain on joints, better movement patterns. You can build core strength fairly quickly as discussed in the last article, but you need to take your time about the rest.
The foundation is the most important phase, so if it takes you longer, or you do not do as much as anticipated- don’t worry. Some riders I work with spend their entire year maintain- ing a good foundation.
Fitness for riders can include a wide range of activi- ties, depending on your disci- pline and goals, physical limits, personal preferences, access to equipment and schedule. One quick note: using of weight machines is not necessary at all. You are better to use whatever is available to you, or the type of equipment you are likely to enjoy and keep up.
If you feel like you may have missed valuable time, don’t worry. Just get in there, and just get started. Keep the goal in mind of slowly starting to increase endurance by the end of the month. Frequency of exer- cise in the week and consistency of form is more important that the total length of time you train. Equestrian workouts are not usually that extreme or intense because equestrians do not need the explosive power, or degree of endurance, or speed of movement of other sports. What a rider really does need is the ability to respond appropriately to the ride while maintaining a
If a rider is working several horses a day, their fitness pro- gram would emphasize opportu- nity for their body to stretch out- side the limited range used rid- ing, and also prevention of potential repetitive strain injuries. Some disciplines do require more overall athletic capacity (such as Eventing in the cross-country phase), so your training plan should be modified to be reasonable for the demands of your discipline.
Others who ride just a few times a week might use their unmounted activity time to keep mobile and supple, build endurance, build postural stami- na or reinforce muscle memory patterns that will be helpful for the times they can be in the sad- dle.
When we talk about unmounted training time, it doesn’t always have to be intense or specialized exercises either. Riding uses a lot of skills that are transferrable from other activities. For example, rhythm is important, as is bilateral co- ordination. Both of these are reinforced with walking. Brisk walking can also be a great way to build cardio-vascular stamina without having to run. Added bonuses of fitting some walking into your week might be time to talk with a friend, time to walk the dog, time on your own to decompress.
Thinking about ways you can optimize the way your body works when you’re in the saddle can be really fun, and as simple as just giving some thought to the key areas your coach (or your horse) keep reminding you about. Riders with tension pat- terns can work those out off the horse, so that they are not wast- ing valuable time in a lesson just trying to get to the relaxed and fluid state needed for the real work. By being a little more in shape, a rider can hold their pos- ture longer, make more effective use of their aids, and have the stamina to hold out through the ride without beginning to fatigue and allow excessive loading start to affect their back.
Wherever you are in your progress, you can always benefit from some core work. Doing core training does not take weeks to see results- you feel the benefits within days. It also is easy to start, regardless of your schedule or fitness level, and your horse notices your improved body control and clearer aids immediately. So, whatever point you are at in your training program, add in a couple of exercises that target your core: your back, abs, sides and essentially all the muscles encircling your torso and con- trolling your posture and ability to have clear weight and other
aids.
Now is a great time to think a little bit about your nutri- tion as well. I ran across a newsletter recently that was geared to nutritional needs for athletes in another sport which I thought applied very nicely for riders: curling.
You may be wondering what is similar about curling and riding. Mainly, it’s the energy output patterns. Riders sustain long periods of posture mainte- nance with constant micro- adjustments on an unstable sur- face, punctuated by short bursts of change or higher energy out- put. In other words, riding requires a lot of endurance with relatively short segments of high energy output. Think about a typical ride for a hunter/jumper, dressage rider, or any other dis- cipline. There are long periods of slower exercise, warmup, cooldown, waiting. Then there are bursts of energy: a few min- utes for a jump course, a few seconds for a reining manoeuvre or dressage movement.
Whether in training prac- tice or competition, how you fuel yourself plays a vital role in your ability for stamina, appro- priate reaction times (aid changes, timing, rhythm, correct and accurate aids), and judgment calls.
Your brain is a complex electrical circuit matrix which depends on sugars and consis- tent fluid levels to maintain the right ambient conditions for sig- nals to process. Dehydration or drops in blood-sugar levels reduce your ability for accurate perception, reaction and judg- ment. They also reduce the reaction-times in your neuro- muscular connections (the signal from your brain to muscle groups for movement, or from your body in contact with the horse, to your brain to signal position, and back again to sig- nal appropriate response). For a rider, seconds make a difference in execution of aids, preparation and performance over obstacles, and constant response to the ever changing balances of the horse- not to mention sudden situation such as a spook or sudden motion. To make it really simple, you cannot afford to get dehy- drated, sustain an electrolyte imbalance or have wide fluctua- tions in blood-sugar levels when you are riding. You can also have a significantly positive impact on your own perfor- mance by making some simple and smart decisions about nutri- ent timing and type (food and liquid).
If you are serious about your approach to nutrition, an excellent book I refer to and rec- ommend is Sport Nutrition Guidebook, by Nancy Clarke. I have found it simple, inexpen- sive, and written in language
that is accessible even to teen and youth clients I have worked with. Meantime, here are the ‘skinny’ notes and rules of thumb to follow:
1. Liquids: Maintain hydration by drinking fluids regularly. Drink a glass of water before riding, and every now and then when you have cooldown or rest breaks in the ride if it is hot. Avoid commercial elec- trolyte replacers. Keep the flu- ids as uncomplicated as possi- ble. You can make a very sim- ple electrolyte replacing drink at home using water with chopped fruits floating in it, or lime or lemon juice, a half a teaspoon of sugar per 16 oz of liquid (2 cups), and a dash or two of salt. My favourite is water with a good dose of lime juice, some brown sugar and a dash of salt all shaken in my water bottle. It tastes like a Margarita.
2. Sugars: Avoid simple sugars, and fuel yourself as a habit on complex carbohydrates. You can eat a simpler sugar right before training to give you immediate energy release until the complex carbohydrates you fueled on at your last meal start to kick in. For example, I fre- quently munch on the carrots brought for my horse and share
them together while we are tacking up. Carrots are high in sugar which absorbs fairly quickly into the bloodstream. However, I make sure that I have also eaten a source of more complex carbohydrate within the three hours preced- ing a ride. For example, I often eat an apple in the car on the way home from my dayjob, or have a half a sandwich at home before turning around to go out the door to the barn. If I will not be able to ride until later in the evening due to client training times or other reasons, I squeeze supper in first. Food on the run is never a problem. Lack of planning on the run is, as is failing to fuel at appropriate intervals. In a pinch, a granola bar in the hour before you ride will give you a combination of simple sugars (sugars gluing it together) and complex carbs (oats and grains in the granola).
Riding in a state of physi- cal depletion (hunger, whether you feel ‘hungry’ or not) is a really bad idea. It sets you up for pitiful decisions and inap- propriate mood-response, slow reaction times, and completely unengaged core. You cannot maintain core stability on an empty stomach. Simple sugars put your brain on a rollercoast- er, and you need consistency
both in neural function (brain, and neuro-muscular firing) and mood.
It’s a great time of year to treat your own body as well as you treat your horse’s: eat slightly better, drink more water, get out and move a little more to work the kinks out before you get in the saddle. Bring the best you to your ride. Your horse will thank you.
Heather Sansom Bio
Heather Sansom, Equifitt owner, is an elite personal trainer, equestrian fitness and conditioning specialist and cer- tified Centered Riding® Instructor. Speaker, author and lifelong rider, she focuses on rider biomechanics and training that optimizes the physical conditions which enhance a rider’s ability for proper function and peak per- formance in the saddle. From dedicated amateurs to elite ath- letes, she helps riders reach their goals and even uses online coaching tools to make person- alized training accessible to rid- ers around the world.
For more information about training with Heather, downloading rider fitness ebooks or signing up for her free fitness tips newsletter, visit
www.equifitt.com/resources.ht ml
Sixth Annual Al Humphrey Memorial Ride SUNDAY, August 5, 2012
Pledges raised by this year’s ride will benefit:
MARKHAM-STOUFFVILLE HOSPITAL- Palliative Care Unit MAKE A WISH CANADA - Toronto & Central Ontario
*25 kilometre marked course through the scenic winding trails of York Regional Forest * *Top Ten Pledge Earner Awards, Individual, Team & Volunteer **Set your own pace **Radio Checkpoints * * Horse Holders * Wake-up Coffee ** Lunch Stop * Spot Prizes *Overnight camping available** Saturday night campfire * Individual, Team & Sponsor Entries** After Ride Entertainment & Bar-B-Que *
Starting at Al’s Tack Shop Check-in from 7:30 am Start times from 8:00 am 2012 Rider Registration Fees:
Prior to June 23 $30.00 • June 24 to July 29 $50.00 • July 30 to August 4 $70.00 Rider and Volunteer Registration NOW OPEN
PLEASE REGISTER EARLY, LIMIT OF 300 HORSES & RIDERS Please Note: Registrations will not be taken the day of the Ride
Subscribe today! Don’t Miss An Issue!
www.therider.com
Registration Forms and Information available at
www.alhumphreymemorialride.com OR
Al’s Tack Shop,4812 Vandorf Sideroad, Stouffville, Ont L4A 7X5. 905-640-2011,
noral@netrover.com
The Al Humphrey Memorial Ride, in honor of Allan Stewart Humphrey (October 10, 1932 – February 2, 2006,) or as he was known to most “Al” of Al’s Tack Shop, provides an opportunity for the horse community at large to make a positive contribution to the lives of others by raising funds for deserving non-profit organizations. During his life- time Al gave selflessly in support of many deserving organizations and charities. It is in this spirit that the Al Humphrey Memorial Ride has been established. Recipient chari- ties and/or organizations are named on an annual basis.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72