I find thinking of my horses a great motivator when the enthusiasm for a workout is low, but I obviously want to keep fit, healthy and mobile for myself too. I lead a very active lifestyle regardless of whether I did any structured training. I’m a Physiotherapist working with athletes and trauma patients so my day to day has a lot of movement. Throw in riding 4-6 x a week and I probably hit above the average activity level for most people.
But none of these things work as well as lifting weights, staying mobile, keeping my low threshold core strong and maintaining my cardiovascular health with purposeful training. Working with athletes who often get their dreams crushed and patients who’ve had their whole world changed by injury really makes you respect your body and want to maintain it the best you can.
For me that looks like a minimum of 4 sessions a week with sometimes an extra 1 or 2 thrown in if it fits with my schedule. I do a mix of weight training, Pilates (Mat or Reformer) and running with a hike or a bike ride thrown in as the extras.
I try to get my training done first thing in the morning before work because I find motivation harder to come by as the day goes on and also the post-work time slot is where I ride my horses.
Beth Endurance 