The Rider January 2014

JANUARY 2014 THE RIDER /19 Fitness For Riders: Stay Ready to Ride Through the Holidays

taking longer to warm up your body before you ride with some stretches, postural exercises and muscle activation, you are able to get to the productive point in your ride a lot sooner. With less stress and less physical tension, your horse will be able to relax and do his job, and you will be able to ‘ride smarter not harder’ in this cold weather. Your horse will still get worked, but with less overall effort and less sweat which can be dangerous in colder weather. You will make smarter decisions about when to end an exercise you are doing with him and wrap it up. You may even find that your ride is shorter because you achieve what you need to in less time. Another way you can work smarter with your body in a busy season, is to swap out that intense mindfulness

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you need to get away from the end of year pressure at work and hustle and bustle just about everywhere you go. You have a hard time imagining when you could do any of the work for your own body that you know you need to do to carry yourself better in the saddle. One thing to consider is the stress you might be carrying this time of year, and how it affects your ride. The cold weather also causes your body to tighten up to the point where some riders I know comment on how much longer it seems to take to warm themselves up during their ride. Sometimes less is more. You might find that by

son. To meet the demands of the season, rider tend to have two reactions. In the first scenario, your horse gets a break because you just can’t fit it all in. If you’re in that category, you may start feeling guilty. Don’t. Your horse might need a break and so do you. You can take some time to walk or stretch or other lighter activity that takes up a fraction of the time going to the barn takes up instead. By keeping yourself active when you are riding less, you will help your body balance out some old ten- sions, and be refreshed and ready for when you get back to your riding schedule. Whatever you do, don’t let the busy season push you into neglecting yourself. Even 15 minutes of fresh air, or airway opening stretching or exercise will help you keep up a healthy immune system and be more resistant to the colds that make the rounds at this time of year. In the second scenario, you ride religiously because

how much you need to exercise in between the short- bread and egg-nog. It seems like there just isn’t time to be SuperPer-

it, this is a really busy time of year. You may even be reading this column well after the holiday season is over. Besides the busyness, the holiday season also draws us closer to the New Year. Yes, that time of year when inevitably, advertising jumps all over the ‘get back in shape’ New Years’ resolution and con- fronts you with images reminding you about

No doubt about

even if you have to keep it short this time of year, is to make sure you eat a little something and have some water in the half hour before you ride. With all the things you have to fit into your day or week, it can be tempting to go long periods between meals or to fuel yourself on coffee, which is dehydrating. Having a lit-

about what the horse is doing, and zone in on what you are doing. Notice how you are carry- ing yourself, where your tension is, and how your horse’s way of going might be a result of you. Pick one thing- like tense shoulders- and make a change- like lowering your elbows- and see how your horse responds. Sometimes when we are less focused on getting the horse to do an exercise, and more focused on how he reflects changes we make in ourselves, we end up getting where we wanted to go in the first place but with more harmony. That’s the kind of ride that gives you energy to go tackle all the things on your busy list. Another way to get more out of your ride

son? Just in case you DO find that the holi- days give you some time for you, one of my number one recommendations for the time- crunched rider is to do core work. You don’t even need to be wearing workout or riding gear, and just a few minutes here and there can make a difference. Plus, spending a few min- utes tightening up those abs and supporting your posture has numerous other side benefits: you have better posture which is better for

tle snack and a little water before you ride will boost your blood sugar and help you concen- trate better. This is important when you have so many things on your mind, or when you can find yourself running on ‘low’. When you haven’t eaten anything for several hours, you lose tonality in your core. This means that your back is not protected while you are riding, and your reaction times are not as quick. A lit- tle snack and water before riding will help you stay in the moment and give it your best. My last quick tip for riding in a busy sea-

your lungs and makes you more resistant to chest colds; you have more energy and stand taller at the social events you need to go to…and have nice open lungs for all that carol- singing. Also, who doesn’t want to feel they are doing something to tighten the tummy a bit at a time of year when there is far too much food around?

fantastic New Year! Wishing you a Happy Holidays and a

© Heather R. Sansom About Equifitt and Heather: Equifitt training draws on multiple sport and fitness disciplines to help riders of all ages and types balance their bodies and reach their riding and fitness goals. Heather is a certified personal trainer, Level 1 Centered Riding® Instructor and Equine Canada Competition Coach. Heather does rider fitness coaching with clients around the world via Skype- bring the trainer to you.

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