From going for a walk in your local forest to venturing out on a family bike ride, there are so many ways you and the kids can stay fit and healthy together. However, there is a slightly more exhilarating activity that you might want to try – horse riding.
Boasting so many health benefits, horse riding is a fun activity for all ages. Plus, I’d like to bet that there aren’t any complaints when you say you’re all going horse riding at the weekend (I normally get sighs and lots of protests when I say we’re going for a walk, including from my hubby!).
And the great thing is, it doesn’t need to cost you a fortune. There are plenty of shops where you can pick up jodhpurs for women, men and kids as well as other riding equipment, and your local stables will probably do day courses for you to start with.
To help you explore the advantages of horse riding, here are just some of the health benefits:
1. Build Up Your Core Strength
In order for you to stay on the horse and adopt certain positions, your body will rely on your core strength. Using certain muscles, this postural strength is key to riding horses and will also benefit your posture for other activities, too.
2. Improve Coordination
When you’re riding a horse there are a lot of different things going on at once, including guiding the horse, balancing your body and using your feet to spur them on. That’s why horse riding is used to help the visually impaired as it has been proven to help aid their coordination skills.
3. Boost Muscle Tone
As well as your core muscles, your pelvic muscles and thighs get a great work out during a horse ride. You’ll clench the horse with your thighs, move with their movements and push your body back into the seat, and all of these movements help build up your muscles and all while you’re gliding along on the back of a horse and enjoying the scenery!
4. Aid Flexibility
In order to be a good horse rider you need to move at one with the horse, which means constantly adjusting yourself to be in line with the horse and maintaining a squatting position as you ride along. All of this works to help improve your overall flexibility.
5. Stimulate Your Brain
As well as physical exercise, horse riding can also improve your mental health. Not only is this a great time of reflection but it’s also incredibly meditating because you’re fully focused on staying on and balancing on the horse.
Plus, as you start to build a relationship with the horse you’re riding, this will add to your overall well-being as you develop a meaningful connection that’s added to with every ride.
