Most people say they would gladly pay more attention to their health, if only they had time. Equestrian athletes feel the same — and not only do we have the usual career and family responsibilities, we also have our horses to care for, train, and ride. Where does rider fitness, well, fit?
Ideally, our farm chores would be enough to keep us fit to ride. In a few cases, they are. But for most of us, those extra steps and occasional heft of a feed bag are definitely losing ground to age and office work.
Our bodies have already adapted to the daily chores. If we want more benefit, we need to put in more effort. But how will we find the time?
To make it happen, we need to consider two factors: actual time, and energy time. This article focuses on the latter. (If actual time really is your issue, hop on over to Part 2.)
It's Not the Time, It's the Energy
We’ve all been there:
You start the day with a long to-do list, cheerfully prepared to check items off (including that trip to the gym and cooking a healthful dinner). You zoom away to work and begin solving problems. Everyone and everything needs your attention.
By noon, the shine is coming off your apple. Maybe you’ll skip some of those evening tasks (not the gym and dinner, though! Of course not those).
By 3 p.m., you’re deciding that a soda and cookie won’t hurt. It’s been crazy and after all, the gym and a healthful dinner are on your list for evening.
At 5 p.m., when your spouse calls to say he can’t make it to the grocery store so could you pick up dinner, you are secretly, guiltily pleased for an excuse to skip the gym. (Tomorrow, though! Definitely tomorrow!) Let’s just grab some takeout and watch a show tonight (self-care!) and we’ll cook that healthful meal tomorrow instead.
I know I’m not the only one who has had that kind of day.
No time to work out, right? No time for a healthy meal.
The thing is, when you really look at the facts, time wasn’t the problem. Energy was the problem.
Technically, you had enough hours left in the evening to hit the gym and cook, but you didn’t have energy time. You’d run your mental and physical tank to empty. Your ambitious plans for evening weren’t going to happen on fumes.
How can we ensure we have enough energy to move and fuel ourselves like athletes?
How to Make Energy Time for Rider Fitness
Here are three ideas:
1. Switch Up Your Schedule
Consider whether you can flip your schedule to get your workout done in the morning.
Your body doesn’t really care when you get a workout in. You’ll benefit from movement no matter when it takes place. However, getting physical activity in the morning is likely to improve your mood and focus all day. It’s worth a try if you can swing it…plus, your evening might be free for more time at the barn!
Can you take care of food prep early as well? Once-a-week grocery shopping and batch cooking on weekends really can help keep your diet and schedule on track.
2. Fuel Your Brain
We all have plenty of calories on board to get through a tough workout at any time, if we really need to. However, it’s common to feel like we can’t drag ourselves to the gym, let alone run a few miles or do pushups. What’s going on here?
The answer usually lies in blood sugar swings. When your blood sugar drops, your brain –(an extremely glucose-hungry organ — reckons it’s best not to waste fuel on exercise. Wouldn’t it be smarter to grab some of that cake in the breakroom, just in case?
But of course, if you spike your blood sugar with the wrong snack, your pancreas will release a load of insulin to move that sugar into storage (ahem, fat cells), causing your blood sugar to drop, which will make you feel crappy again.
You have to find a way to keep blood sugar steady without overeating. Eating low-carb (or even keto) works well for some, but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. For women who are peri-menopausal on up, it can even make things worse.
Snacking on healthful foods is the obvious solution. Personally, I make frequent use of sports nutrition by UCAN, which uses a special carbohydrate that doesn’t spike blood sugar.
Try to eat something about an hour before you hit the gym. Your workouts will thank you.
3. Do What Feels Good
Many of us assume that unless a workout is a real beat-down, it isn’t worth doing. Not true!
If you’re feeling sore or unmotivated, there’s nothing wrong with replacing your planned workout with something that feels good rather than bagging it entirely. When the very thought of “leg day” or being drenched in sweat makes you scramble for excuses, shift to some mobility work or a walk outside. Maybe take your horse for a hike!
Doing something rather than nothing will maintain your fitness habit, which will keep you on an upward spiral. That’s important, because our horses rely on us to show up strong.
Making energy time for rider fitness is a gift worth your effort.
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