As riders, our training tends to be very sport-specific – hours in the saddle, sitting trot without stirrups. Equestrian sport isn’t easy to cross-train for; we use our legs and core in a very different way than many other sports, and employ short bursts of energy in the competition ring. It is therefore important to include some form of aerobic training in our regimen.
HIIT the mats
HIIT, or High-Intensity-Interval-Training, is getting a lot of attention in the scientific community for many reasons, the foremost being that is a great-bang-for-your-buck. It involves shorter, intense training bursts punctuated by small, active rest periods. In the equestrian world, it mimics those short, high-intensity bursts of energy that we need for competition.
HIIT training has also been shown to enhance fat burning as well as the consistency of muscle enzymes that promote this, and it provides excess post-exercise O2 consumption up to approx. two hours post-exercise, where the body is restoring itself to pre-exercise levels. It is a viable one-stop-shop for increasing fitness, quality of life, functional ability and fat loss.