Many people enjoy horseback riding. Many take part in events like the Your Horse 1000 Mile Hacking Challenge 1 and Myhackathon 2, both supported by Charlotte Dujardin.
Horseback riding may appear leisurely; however, its exercise benefits cannot be discounted as many of our major muscle groups are engaged.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Horseback riding provides an effective alternative cardiovascular workout, burning calories while building strength in legs and core muscles while stimulating hormones that support weight loss. As light to moderate exercise, most health organizations recommend it for achieving or maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
Riding can burn an abundance of calories depending on the discipline, length of riding time and frequency. For instance, participating in rodeo sports that require jumping and roping may burn many more than attending an evening riding lesson that primarily includes walking; different disciplines utilize different muscles as well as require greater balancing skills to maintain balance while riding.
Colleen O’Reilly and Dennis Sigler from Texas A&M University conducted a 2015 study which concluded that high-intensity horseback riding activities can burn more than 590 calories an hour! This amount exceeds what most athletes burn during an entire 90-minute basketball game or skateboard ride!
Expertise as a rider also influences how many calories you will burn while horseback riding, with jumping, dressage or endurance skills demanding not just physical strength but also coordination and balance that must be perfected over time. Similar to tennis, golf or soccer where advanced skills increase energy expenditure and calorie burn rate.
Riding is a low-impact activity, making it a good option for people wanting to reduce the risk of injury and have conditions such as arthritis that prevent them from engaging in high-impact exercises. Riding can also provide stress relief and boost one’s mood and sense of well-being.
Even when riding, it is essential to consult with your physician prior to beginning any new physical exercise regime. If you are interested in horseback riding as part of your health and fitness goals, or have any concerns regarding whether it is suitable, contact Nutracheck now – we’re happy to create a safe and effective exercise plan designed specifically to reach them!
Strength Training
Horseback riding provides a comprehensive body workout, engaging muscles in your legs, core, arms and balance – which are all crucial when riding horses! Plus it offers low impact exercise which makes it an excellent solution for people suffering joint pain who cannot do high intensity activities such as cardio workouts.
Riding can also help you burn calories and aid weight loss, with intensity-dependent riding potentially burning up to 590 calories an hour; the exact number will depend on both your body weight and type of riding you do.
Trail riding or beginner lessons, which is easy and relaxing, burn approximately 270 calories an hour on average. More advanced riders who ride at trot, canter, or gallop can expect to burn even more calories during an hour ride. Jumping is another popular equestrian sport which can quickly burn fat with its fast-paced exercise burning up to 644 in one hour!
No matter the discipline, horseback riding is an effective and fun way to get in shape. Plus, its social aspect makes it even better! Enjoy it with friends or family while bonding with your horse while exploring nature!
Though horseback riding won’t specifically target belly fat, it does help you shed overall body fat and strengthen muscles. When combined with other healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep, horseback riding may even help you shed inches off of your waistline.
Riding horses is an excellent way for people who want to stay active but lack the time or energy for traditional forms of exercise like going to a gym, especially those suffering from joint pain who cannot engage in high impact exercises like running. Before beginning any new workout routine, always consult with your physician first.
Endurance
Horseback riding requires intense physical exertion, particularly when you rely on your upper body to hold yourself in the saddle and direct an animal with your hands. Riding can build both stamina and endurance – which are key for anyone seeking to shed excess pounds or improve overall fitness levels. Furthermore, riding can strengthen core muscles which helps improve balance and posture; and calories burned while riding may vary depending on both body composition and intensity of ride.
Endurance training can increase calorie burn by 3-4 times more than when resting, so in order to accomplish it it’s necessary to be active for at least an hour – so choosing an activity such as horseback riding that meets both your fitness level and ability is key – for instance if you are new to horseback riding it would be wiser if you chose one with slower pace like walk pace rather than faster disciplines such as polo or showjumping as this may provide better results.
If you want a cardio workout that will help you reach your weight-loss goals more quickly, horseback riding and other exercises that target both lower and upper bodies could be effective ways of burning more calories and helping you reach them sooner.
Colleen O’Reilly and Dr Dennis Sigler of Texas A&M University conducted a 2015 research project investigating the energy expenditure of horseback riders engaging in high-intensity activities like reining cattle. Twenty individuals completed 45-minute walk trot canter rides involving reining patterns, cutting patterns, cutting pattern reining patterns and reining patterns while wearing telemetric gas analyzers for 45 minutes each session, with significant caloric expenditure being burned off due to these high intensity horse activities like roping cattle resulting in improved aerobic (cardiovascular fitness) and resistance (strength fitness levels among participants as a result.
Riding can not only burn calories, but it can also stimulate the release of serotonin-producing hormones which reduce appetite and promote a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, interaction between you and your horse may improve mental wellbeing – no wonder so many people enjoy this beautiful sport!
Flexibility
Riding is a total-body workout, requiring coordination across the whole body and helping burn calories while toning muscles. Riding also provides an opportunity to increase flexibility; horseback riders especially rely on flexibility training as it reduces injury risks while providing them with balance on a moving and guiding an animal’s back.
According to an article in Horse and Hound, riding at a walk can burn up to 270 calories an hour for those of average weight, while trotting and cantering will increase this figure further. Experienced riders looking for additional intensity should try jumping as this will generate additional caloric burn.
Horseback riding offers many other advantages. First and foremost, it enhances flexibility and core strength. Regular horseback riding will enable you to learn to sit on and dismount more easily; your legs will strengthen as well as developing better balance when controlling the horse using both feet and legs.
Horseback riding can also help to increase your heart rate and metabolism, helping to facilitate weight loss. As an enjoyable activity that is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels – including those who find traditional forms of exercise such as jogging too strenuous – horseback riding offers a fantastic alternative that may work better.
While horses may be trained to carry heavier riders, it is not advised that an individual weigh more than 15% of the horse’s bodyweight as this could place undue strain on its spine and legs, leading to physical strain for both horse and rider. Consultation with a veterinarian or equine specialist should be sought when determining safe rider weight for each individual horse – most can tolerate up to 200 pounds at once.