Best excecise for riding fitness ?

I row for carsiovascular as it works all muscle groups really well :) I mix up interval rowing with longer, slower sessions which seem to help.

I swear by EquiPilates too :)
 
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The best way to get riding fit is to get on and ride.
I lunge once or twice a week that's a brisk walk up and down the quarter lines in the school as I use all of it.
I walk briskly probably three miles a day, flat, slopes and hills- more forward going than people I meet on their horses!
The gym would bore me being inside and going no where.
 
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newforest said:
The best way to get riding fit is to get on and ride.
I lunge once or twice a week that's a brisk walk up and down the quarter lines in the school as I use all of it.
I walk briskly probably three miles a day, flat, slopes and hills- more forward going than people I meet on their horses!
The gym would bore me being inside and going no where.
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It totally depends on the type of sessions you do though. I can burn 500 calories in 35 minutes on a rower - there is no way I can burn the same riding or walking.

Riding my one horse alone doesn't keep me as fit as I'd like though - but admittedly, that was different when I worked with horses & rode multiple a day! But I spend an hour driving in my car & 7 hours sat at a desk so need some extra help to counteract that. If other people are lucky enough to be more active than myself in the day, I'm envious of their need to not do the gym session!
 
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I'm not looking at it from a calories burning place, but from fitness muscle and core strength place.
Walking 21 miles a week must be doing something muscle wise. My thighs require stretch jodphurs. I might even try leggings this year if I can some that are not so see through!!

I weigh ten stone and a fair bit of that will be muscle. People want to lose weight but muscle weighs more as it develops.
I bet my bum weighs 5stone. :D
 
I completely agree NP. I don't usually have the time to walk 3 miles a day - I'd love to, but I just don't! Whereas a gym session I can get over and done with in 45 minutes in my lunch break.

I've definitely lost weight from the gym, toned muscle & increased core strength.

My main aim was originally to loose weight - I felt I had to, as I'm conscience of the weight Pete carries - and it won't matter a jot to him if it's fat or muscle! These days more of my weight is muscle (22% of my bodyweight was fat last time I stood on the scales, admittedly a little while ago :p ) - but I'm still conscience of keeping in an 'acceptable' weight for myself & Pete. That's why also measuring other factors like percentage of body fat etc is important - you could be 5'5 and weigh 10 stone or 4 foot and 10 stone or 6' and 10 stone. One is perfectly healthy, the other two slight less so :)

However people choose to, I think being active & fit is important - whether you rollerblade, zumba, horse-ride or dog agility :)
 
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Roller disco's are making quite the comeback :D Not for me though, I'm with you in A&E if I ever tried them!
 
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I have a desk job but on the days I go into the office I have a mile and a half walk from car park and back. My normal dog walking route is about 4 miles and this is about all the exercise I get other than riding and shovelling poo at weekends. I maintain my weight with this level of exercise but I'd like to do something that would get me fitter. I do Pilates too but I don't really think of it as exercise.

When I was training for the Kiplingcotes Derby I was riding more and doing a lot of galloping, which I found quite aerobically challeging, despite the fact that it was Raf who was doing the real work. I lost weight even though I was eating more.

I think any exercise you enjoy that raises your heart rate is good for increasing fitness and weight loss and, as others have said, something like Pilates is excellent for core strength, muscle tone and balance.

I bet you're already a lot fitter than you think @Native Lover
 
Wow! An hour swimming and half an hour at the gym? That’s brilliant!
I need to get back doing something again. Any classes near me are either during the day when I’m at work or early evening when I’m riding. I didn’t renew my gym membership as I can actually only get there three days a week now so it’s not worth the money.
Anyway have you tried skipping?
Very good cardio and burns off tons of canaries (if you can keep going and not fall over the rope!)
 
Funny you should say skipping, that appeals. Loved it as a kid and now I can stick it under fitness.
How much would you need to do, build up obviously.
 
I found long fell walks as good as anything for getting me fit. Back when I first started lessons I was a lot fitter than now. Used to enjoy ten miles plus at Saturdays and Sundays plus after work shorter walks too. Its gradual bit after six months I saw a big difference and felt pretty good too.
 
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