Improve your fitness and well-being through horse riding!
Are you unfit, feeling lethargic, lacking self-esteem & confidence?
You may or may not be feeling any of the above but the benefits of horse riding have been well documented over the years.
Horse riding offers a great workout for both the mind and body, physically boosting the cardiovascular system and mentally easing stresses on the mind.
You’d be surprised how many calories that you can burn off in a session and let’s face it, is more fun than pounding away on a treadmill at a gym!
It’s also a great social activity and helps bring together other like-minded people.
If you are still not convinced then check out the below facts and figures or give us a call and we can discuss what you are looking to gain from riding.
Be assured that the instructor will establish your fitness level at the beginning of your session and will structure your lesson accordingly. You don’t have to be fit to be able to ride, just enthusiastic!
Physical benefits of horse riding
Horse riding is a great form of exercise which has both cardiovascular and muscle conditioning benefits. Although it may seem as though the rider is not engaging in any physical exercise, an hour’s activity can burn similar calories to that of a 30-minute jog or cycle ride. Therefore, all the health benefits associated with engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise are gained.
After your first ride you may feel muscles that you never knew you had. This is due to the movement of the horse and its effect on the rider during the ride. As the rider reacts to the horse’s movements to avoid becoming off balance, the deep postural muscles of the trunk and pelvis and the adductor muscles of the thighs are continuously being conditioned.
Psychological benefits of horse riding
Horse riding is recognized as having excellent therapeutic qualities. The psychological benefits can be of equal importance to riders as the physical benefits.
Simply being out and about and enjoying the great outdoors will boost your general wellbeing and act as a great stress buster. There is a real sense of exhalation and freedom when you ride, a feeling that is second to none.
Furthermore, developing a relationship and sense of trust between yourself and your horse is highly rewarding. Also, learning to control and care for an animal much larger than yourself can have a profound effect on your confidence and is a great feeling.
The hard facts!!
Did you know…
• horse riding improves your sense of wellbeing? It has the same antidepressant effects, similar to a “runner’s high”, associated with a drop in stress hormones!
• some people with long standing illnesses or disabilities indicated an improved physical/mental condition, after going horse riding?
• horse riding is a natural stimulator of the hormone serotonin? Serotonin is a natural mood enhancer which leads to a feeling of well-being during and after exercise! This reduces aggression and irritability.
• you can burn as many calories trotting on horseback as you can by heading down to the gym for a lunchtime workout? An hours schooling session can burn around 360 calories providing an effective cardiovascular workout.
• rising trot uses the same muscles, quads and hamstrings, that you would use when doing squats – try counting how many rises you do on each lap of the arena.
• the inner thigh muscles, also known as leg adductors are recruited when doing sitting trot or canter – a much more fun way to work these tough to reach areas than lying on the floor doing leg raises!
• exercising in the fresh air will help you to sleep better.
Resources used from realbuzz.com & hoofride.co.uk