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Horse Riding For Fun And Fitness
http://www.horsesearchers.co.uk
People have been riding horses for fun and pleasure for millennia now but the true fitness benefits of pony riding are only now being studied by scientists and lab tested with control groups. It is only when you break down the physical mechanism of riding a horse that you are able to see the way that it stresses muscles, rises heart rate and builds a strong set of muscles.
Recent research has shown that riding can help develop muscular strength and cardiovascular levels. While the wonderful world of equestrian does have a cost barrier to entry, you don't need to spend hours looking at horses for sale to start riding as most local stables offer riding lessons and once capable will be able to provide you with a horse to hack out with.
Horse riding can help you develop in three main fitness areas and we shall take a brief look at them below.
Core muscular development - riding a horse requires poise and balance. To truly have the perfect horse riding position and technique you will need to develop a strong core. Much like yoga, horse riding focuses on getting your technique right. A strong core is crucial when it comes to jumping on a horse, you will need to make sure your balance is perfect.
Muscular development - While there no doubting the fact that when you ride a horse, it is the horse that will do the majority of the hard work, the rider will be required to develop a certain level of muscular strength for holding onto the horse while going over jumps and for basic horsemanship such as steering and controlling the horse. An hour riding a horse can leave a rider feeling like they have just done a good session in the gym with legs, arms and stomach muscles feeling like they have just gone through a very tough workout.
Aerobic capacity - while hacking out on a horse might not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think about good activities that will get your heart pumping, it is actually very aerobic. The constant efforts while out of the saddle and the pumping of the arms and legs really cause the heart rate to raise.
Outdoor activities such as horse riding are a great alternative to traditional gym based exercise classes and while they are great for developing strength and fitness, they also make for awesome social exercise making it even more enjoyable.
Peter writes for the horses for sale website Horse Searchers where you can view and buy hundreds of horses for sale.
Article submitted Monday, April 11, 2011 & read 5 times.
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