I mountain bike. I wish I was a runner, but I just get so bored and my joints get angry after a while. Biking is much lower impact and I think mountain biking has some skills that cross over from eventing in terms of choosing your line over the terrain, going over obstacles, adjusting your speed, balance, etc. It’s also just really fun, so you don’t notice the cardio pain as much.
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@Foxglove that is awesome! Congrats on dropping 35lbs and kicking butt working out at home! It takes lots of willpower!
I LOVED the first few months of shelter-in-place when I could work from home. Not having to look office-ready and commute to work gave me back 2 hours of every day. This means even if my 8-5 was packed with calls, meetings and projects I still had this new extra time to work out at home. I really really enjoyed having the time and flexibility to do Pilates, yoga and play around with HIIT.
Then I had to go back to the office full time 
I’m REALLY struggling doing anything except for leave for work at 7:45am, come home from work at 5:40pm (on a good day, it tends to be later), change and immediately go to the barn from approx. 6:15pm -8pm. Go back home and eat a quick dinner and catch up w/ hubby, do some light chores, prep for tomorrow and bed by like 11/ 11:30pm?
Where can I fit exercise in this? I’m really not a morning person (trust me I have tried!) Sometimes I can squeeze in a easy yoga session at 6am, but it is a struggle. I live in an area w/ no turnout and really can’t afford to pay someone to exercise my horse for me, so it is important that I go to the barn everyday to get him out of the stall as well as feed his grain + supplements. So cutting back on barn time isn’t really a solution,
I do best when I have a mapped-out schedule, so I’ve been slacking on the weekends and not exercising like I probably should. I’ve been thinking about trying to utilize my lunch breaks at work (I currently walk around the block and use my standing desk) but that is hardly cardio. Our office does have a gym and showers which I used to use pre-covid when horse was at different barn, but that gym is still closed due to covid.
Maybe I need a drill sergeant to drag me out of bed at a pre-dawn hour to hit the elliptical but I just don’t have the energy to workout first thing in the morning. How do you fine folks balance working full time office gig with horse and family responsibilities? I keep hoping there is a magic secret I just have not stumbled across yet.
Stationary bike is by far the easiest way to squeeze cardio into your daily routine.
Base models without the bells and whistles aren’t too expensive to buy. You can plonk it in front of the TV and get a good 20km blast in without thinking about it too much. It also solves the excuses of bad weather outside or too tired to go to the gym.
@BatCoach I agree with @BrokenArrow that stationary bike is the way to go —but, I also know that when I was working (now retired), I could not have added one more thing to my day --without taking something out. In hindsight, I think that would have been TV --I never watched much, but in the time I did watch, I could have sat on the bike and done 20 min.
You say you are not a morning person --my “trick” has always been to set out the clothes I need to put on first. Before I put exercise first, I used to ride first. I had boots, breeches, everything set out and put those clothes on when I got out of bed. I told myself, you don’t need to ride; but you do need to go to the barn and feed. Somehow, having riding clothes ON made the likelihood I would ride one of the horses much greater. If I fed in my PJs, I would definitely NOT ride --but riding clothes on . . .well, throw on a saddle and ride!
I carried that over when I decided to make exercise a priority --I set out my clothes (I bought a set of leggings and a top that look just like my favorite instructor --lame --but fun) --then every morning when I get out of bed, I put those clothes on --and I say: “You don’t have to work out --but you DO have to sit on the bike. After you sit on the bike, self, you can get off. But you must sit on it.” So far, except for one day after I broke my ribs hunting, I HAVE done at least 20 min --might be a slow 20, but I do it. When I broke my ribs, I did get off after 5 min. Something about being dressed and sitting on the bike, heck, might as well do 20 min –
Since you are not a morning person --could you do the same “trick” only at a different time —put on your workout clothes before you leave work --tell yourself --you don’t have to exercise, but you do have to --lie on the mat --or stand at the weight machine --or put your foot in the pool --then give yourself permission to stop at that point --most of the time, you won’t because it is now easier to do it than not to do it.
Finally -could you add exercise to your horse time? Because I am a Mounted Archer I do about 30 min of archery exercise on my horse (I have three so I rotate them out when I shoot so none are burned out). Take 3 pound weights with you when you ride --work your arms while horse is cooling off on a loose rein --(I use my bow as a “band” and do slow pulls --about 100 after every practice --75 on my shooting arm and 25 on my non shooting arm. Figure I’ll eventually look like HellBoy. And planks --well you can do a plank any place no one is looking. Planks are the ultimate core exercise. Have CORE challenges with hubby or kids. Who can hold it the longest? Make it fun --have prizes –
Sorry this got long –
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You sound perfect for Mind.Body.Vault – it’s a fitness program put together by some previous Team USA vaulters specifically for equestrians … basically ways to add workout components to barn time, using barn items. At first it looks specific to vaulters, but it’s really all equestrians. They have components from cardio to flexibility to mental conditioning. And it’s true - your riding will improve with fitness and your horse will appreciate it SO much!
From the website:
" The Equestrian Athlete’s Fitness Guide is about training smarter. You already commit so much time to your training, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting the most for your time and money invested in your sport. This is why we have cut the videos into small segments you can intersperse throughout your day. You already make time to go to the barn, while you’re there pair that habit with a 5 minute Yoga warm up and then a 5 minute cool down. You can do these exercises while you wait for the water buckets to fill, while you’re standing in the barn isle or waiting for space in the arena to open up. We believe slipping these short segments into your current lifestyle will make for a smooth and easy transition into your athletic mindset. "
https://www.themindbodyvault.com/the-program
Anyway, the gals who run it are super cool and I love supporting equestrians in business. Please reach out if you need something custom as well, they are super approachable. :yes::yes::yes:
Well let me put a plug in for Dressage Rider Training – It should really be named strength, yoga, flexibility for equestrians. It isn’t cardio, but it helps core immensely. You can download all the sessions or stream them or buy a thumbdrive with all the sessions preloaded.
I just went through unexpected open heart surgery in August, doing cardiac rehab, and now starting DRT again.
(PSA: everyone who is 50+ should make an appt with cardiologist for echocardiogram (ultrasound of heart) and a Calcium CT test (checks arteries). I had an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm that was 25% bigger than when they want to operate. I was rushed from my first ever cardiologist appt straight to ER and surgery two days later. I felt fine beforehand - fit, shoveling DG for my horse’s stall, lifting feed bags, etc. They are asymptomatic and discovered by death, or incidental to another xray. Now I have a new aorta, reaffirmed clean arteries, restrictions removed, and back to getting fit!)
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I don’t know what you mean…giggles…oh yes, that :lol:
Yes but only a couple of times, though everything I read pretty much said it’s not needed for this level!! But it looks like Aussie courses are quite long and I do!! Currently doing 3x5 minute trot then 3x3 minute canters. I’m actually thinking that it wasn’t fitness I was lacking, just the stress and anxiety may have got to me causing me to fatigue, as I find these sets quite easy to do (only my left calf feels week/sore) but cardio fitness seems to be ok. We have another event this weekend. Dressage/SJ on Sat then XC on Sun.
