 |
 |
4 Health Benefits of Horse Riding
Share4 Health Benefits of Horse Riding
Horse riding isn’t just for kids. It offers adults a great deal of fun and health benefits, too. Here are 4 health benefits of horse riding that might just get you into the saddle:1. Improve your overall fitness
Ask anyone who’s had a horse riding lesson and they’ll tell you it can be quite a workout! And science agrees: a report commissioned by the British Horse Society (BHS) found that “just half an hour of horse related activity, such as mucking out, is classed as moderate exercise, while trotting exerts more energy than playing badminton.”2. Boost your mood
It’s no wonder horse therapy has been shown to help people experiencing grief, trauma or mental illness: bonding with horses (and many animals) has been shown to boost your mood and even elevate levels of feelgood hormones like serotonin.At first, horse riding can be a little intimidating – especially with horse handling and all the new techniques to learn. But once you master the basics, horse riding can be incredibly relaxing – and even become meditative as a mindfulness practice.
3. Strengthen your core
Because horse riding is an isometric exercise, it requires you to use your core muscles to stabilise yourself in the saddle. This also means it helps build your postural strength as you ride more.4. Connect with others
Feeling a part of a community is essential to our sense of fulfilment and happiness. And horse riding introduces you to a huge global community of horse lovers, riders, and competitors who are incredibly passionate about their sport. Whether you hang around after a lesson, join a competition, or simply connect with other riders online, you might just find yourself with a wider social circle.Horse riding has a multitude of health benefits – it’s proven to be good for your body and your mind. Alongside the above benefits, it also takes you out of your comfort zone, improves your body awareness, and forges a beautiful bond between horse and rider.
Printer Friendly Version
References
Related Modalities
Animal Therapy Children's Health Men's Health Women's Health
