Looking to get riding fit, but not sure where to start? As riders, it’s important to work on our own fitness levels to improve our ability in the saddle. Our posture, strength and balance will all affect how well we ride and communicate with our horses.
Horse riding is a well-loved sport, and as with other popular sports, athletes follow training plans which focus on a mixture of strength, agility and skill training to not only help them improve sporting ability, but also reduce the severity of injuries that can occur when participating.
Personal trainer, soft tissue therapist and avid equestrian, Clare Gangadeen, is passionate about the role of riding-specific conditioning and has built exercise programmes targeted specifically at horse riders.
The aptly name RiderCise for riders helps work on balance, mobility and core strength. RiderCise exercise programmes offer the rider the ability to work on fitness and to tone the right areas needed for stability AND ability in the saddle, which ultimately increases the performance of the horse.
RiderCise looks to get riders fit to improve their own ‘way of going’ to ultimately help their horse when under saddle…
Ridercise
There are a lot more benefits to getting ‘fit to ride’ than just improving your own fitness and toning up. Key areas need to be focussed on to improve your fitness as a rider.
Clare comments:
I often hear complaints about riding aches and pains after a tough lesson or a few hours hacking and want riders to understand that this doesn’t have to be a case of ‘just the way it is’.
Rider Fitness, or rather Conditioning, can not only reduce the after-riding aches and pains but it gives you confidence and self-belief as you gain control of your body and feel stronger, more mobile, agile and responsive.”
Although Clare is not suggesting riders don’t care about their lack of fitness and the impact this may have on their horse, she is highlighting that many riders are not aware of the connection.
Clare’s vision is that all riders, from leisure riders to professional riders and trainers, become aware of the role of rider fitness on the welfare of their horse, and incorporate rider fitness into their routine.
Clare’s unique combination of professional fitness expertise and the desire to help riders improve their riding fitness led her to create RiderCise. RiderCise offers a series of accessible online exercise programmes targeted solely at equestrians, which can be done at any time of day or evening in your own home. The programmes are exceptionally good value for money (a 6-week programme costs less than two personal training sessions) and don’t require lots of expensive gym equipment. Is it time to get fit to ride?
Take a look around by visiting the RiderCise website: https://www.ridercise.co.uk/
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.