Should I work out during Show Season?
I received a ton of responses to my email last week about how I took time off from my workout routine in order to fully focus my mind and my energy on moving into my new farm. So many of you related to this as with summer just around the corner, our schedules are packed and we are taking on a lot more than we had in the previous seasons. So the question becomes, if I am riding a lot, what should my workouts look like? Do I continue them as I have, do I stop completely, or do I go somewhere in the middle?
Now, everyone is going to be a little different here because what is high activity for an endurance rider might not be the same as a dressage rider. A jumper’s program is going to look different than a barrel racer. Then we start adding on the other lifestyle factors - are you a junior out of school? Or are you working 2 jobs and taking care of kids and elderly parents? Do you do other sports outside of riding? Do you work in an office, or in a barn or construction job. There are so many factors that compound and need to be taken into consideration when selecting a program. Of course, your best option is always to work one on one with a coach (myself or any other great coach), however if you are on a budget or want a sample before diving in, I have you covered there too!
Now, I have been doing endurance for 12+ years so I was anticipating this and in the background, I have been developing programs specifically for the purpose of high activity seasons! So today I want to introduce two options I have for you if you want to stay fit through the riding season, or even build some fitness if you are relatively new to working out. One is new but has been tested by a few of my lovely members (who have been raving about it!) and the other one is a twist on one of my regular offerings. Let me explain a little more!
First - the twist! FitRider classes have been changed to be an appropriate volume for this high-activity season. Each day we now have a 30 minute class which includes a warmup of dynamic stretching and mobility work, 2-4 strength training exercises, and then a cool down using breath techniques and static stretching for relaxation. The time is still 12:00 noon EST Monday through Friday, but on Saturdays and Sundays (or if you miss class) they are pre-programmed into your calendar. Doing a little bit every day helps keep the volume of work at a level that works for most riders to build muscle but prevent overtraining. Plus it helps us to stay consistent as showing up regularly is often the hardest part.. Remember, consistency beats intensity every time! The added accountability of the group is great for you if you struggle with consistency. Our group regulars have increased their strength and endurance 200%-500% over the last year when we benchmark certain exercises.
The other option, if joining classes isn’t your thing, is a phased program I have put together a phased program focused on habit building and recovery, strength training, then endurance training. Its a 12 week program that helps to build the foundations and routine of exercise without overloading your body. The first phase is entirely focused on showing up regularly and building mobility and at only 15 minutes a day it is hard to skip! Plus your body will feel so good! The next phase focuses on learning strength movements and lifting heavy things with good form - all of which can be done from your barn before or after your ride or broken down into movement snakcs throughout the day. Lastly the third phase uses follow along videos that cycle through movements quickly to build your endurance. They are longer but less frequent through the week. The variety of programming also means you can try out different styles and learn what works for your schedule - is it showing up every day in short bursts? Is it sprinkling movement throughout the day? Or is it doing less frequent but longer workouts. All of these have been shown to be effective but the important part is what works best for YOU!
So that is what I have been putting together in the last couple of months to better support you through your ride season. The commonalities between these two, and the things that you can focus on (whether in one of my programs or not) are:
1) Consider EVERYTHING you are doing in your life. If you have increased other activities significantly, account for that in the volume of your programs
2) Focus on just showing up. If you are tired, trust your body and show up instead for mobility or stretching for pain relief
3) Keep it simple. Focus on basic functional movements and pick one or two to do every day. Include each of these types of strength movements: twist, push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, lunge.
I hope this helps you tailor your program this show season, and of course if you have any questions or want to know about programs, I do offer a free consultation! Just reach out and ask! I would love to be able to work with you and help you reach your riding goals.
And remember, you deserve to treat yourself as well as you treat your horse.
Cheers!
Sarah