Achieving Rider Fitness When You Don’t Have Time – Part 2

Lack of time is far and away the top reason riders cite for their lack of cross-training. By the time we work (to afford horses!), commute, and address family responsibilities, many of us feel like we hardly have time left to ride, let alone exercise. How does rider fitness fit in?

We all know we should work out. After all, we regularly ask our equine partners to perform while dealing with any weaknesses or imbalances in our own bodies. It’s only fair that we do our part.

But who has 90 minutes to drive to the gym, change clothes, work out, and wait in traffic on the way back to the barn or office? Even home workouts can be tricky to fit in, particularly when we consider the hassle of repairing our appearance for whatever is next on the agenda.

“You have as much time in your day as everyone else does,” they say. “You just have to prioritize!”

If only it were that easy.

While it is certainly true that some of us could give up TV time or enlist a teenager to cook dinner so we can work out, “just prioritizing it” isn’t always the answer. Some of us really, truly don’t have an hour (or more) to carve out to train for a 10K and do yoga after.

Fortunately, there is a solution.

Got Time for Some Good News about Rider Fitness?

The good news is that equestrian athletes can get the most bang for their scheduling buck from strength training and mobility work. Unlike cardio, both of these can be accomplished:

On a tiny time budget,
With little or no equipment, and
without getting sweaty.

You can do strength and mobility work practically for free. You may not even need to change clothes!

Short Strength Workouts that Actually Work

If time is really tight, you can spread out strength training exercises through the day rather than doing them all at once. Choose a couple exercises (say, pushups and squats). Do a set while your coffee brews, another set when you change clothes after work, and a final set while the horses clean up their mash.

Consistency is what you’re after, not long beat-downs. You’ll gain more from doing a couple strength movements per day than you will from spending two hours in the gym on Saturday and nothing the rest of the week.

I’m a big proponent of professionally-designed fitness programs, especially if you aren’t an experienced strength trainer. (Here are 5 Reasons Equestrian Athletes Should Use Professional Fitness Programs.)

MAPS 15 Minutes from Mind Pump Media is perfect for equestrian athletes who want to squeeze in a little strength training each day. I use this program when I need a proven program with minimal equipment and time.

Flexible Mobility Work for Equestrian Athletes

Mobility work often gets ignored because it doesn’t feel like a workout, but it’s a critical component of rider fitness. Maintaining full, comfortable range of motion will make less injury-prone and more balanced in the saddle.

Many riders report benefits from practicing pilates and yoga. Even short sessions, led by an app or YouTube, offer gains without hassle. Trifecta Pilates and Gone Adventuring are just a couple reputable channels for free pilates videos.

I’m a huge fan of the Down Dog app for yoga because it lets me choose the exact type and length of workout that will suit my needs on any given day.

Speedy Cardio for Rider Fitness

Strength and mobility are fantastic, but what if you still want to improve your aerobic fitness?

More good news! Even very short bouts of activity (5 to 10 minutes) are beneficial.

Obviously, you’ll need to have realistic expectations, since more really is more (within reason) when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, but short workouts can make a huge difference both for beginners or for fitter athletes on days between longer efforts.

You’ll probably have to make a little extra time to deal with the sweat factor, but you can still get a very quick workout using high intensity interval training (HIIT). Stationary bikes are great for this, or you just sprint up the nearest hill a few times.

If your mobility is up to it, try combining aerobic and strength work with a quick session using an app like Down Dog HIIT.

Rucking, which is basically walking with a weighted backpack, is a marvelously simple way to gain fitness. It may take a bit longer than some of these other ideas, but you can do with with your horse! Let him enjoy having you carry the “saddle” for once.