15 Simple At Home Leg Strengthening Exercises For Horse Riders
Here are 15 leg exercises to make you a stronger rider. Horse riders need strong legs for balance, cueing, safety and an overall better ride. Strengthening your legs will boost your metabolism so you burn more calories.
I used to think riding my horse was enough exercise and I didn't need to do anything else. But what I found was I have muscles in my legs and glutes I wasn't using when I rode. By adding a total lower body workout plan into my weekly fitness, my riding has improved so much! I feel more confident overall and I know strong muscles burn more calories. And that means we can eat more food! Yay!!! Hey whatever motivates, right?!
Try this workout and let me know what you think! It comes from one of the Beachbody programs I do. {Pop Quiz} Anyone know which one?
EXERCISE #1 - Balanced Lunge. 25 reps each leg. A lunge with your back foot supported on a chair. Be sure to keep your knee behind your toes on your front leg.
EXERCISE #2 - Calf Raise Squats. 25 reps each leg. A squat followed by a calf raise. Try holding 5-10 lb. weights for a challenge.
EXERCISE #3 - Super Skaters. 25 reps each leg. Balance on one leg, bend the knee and straighten the leg in a skating motion. Great for balance and strength.
EXERCISE #4 - Wall Squats. 90 seconds. Alternate between parallel legs and slightly higher stance with back and arms flat against the wall. Just like you're sitting in a chair.
EXERCISE #5 - Reverse Lunge. 15 reps each leg. Lunge back with each leg 15 times. Keep a wide base of support. Holding 5-10 lb weights will make this harder.
EXERCISE #6 - Alternating Side Lunge. 24 reps. Step to the side in a lunge, change sides. Focus on correct form, keep the knee behind the toe on the front leg and push off the back leg to change sides.
EXERCISE #7 - Single Leg Wall Squat. Alternate legs every 10 secs for 1 minute. Slide your back down the wall until your legs are parallel. Raise the right leg as high as you can, leg straight. Alternate to left leg after 10 seconds. Repeat the process for 1 minute.
EXERCISE #8 - Deadlift Squats. 20 reps each leg. Balance on right leg, with flat back touch finger tips to the floor, left leg extended behind you. Switch legs after 20 reps and repeat.
EXERCISE #9 - 3 Way Lunge. 5 reps each leg. Lunge to the side then kick to the side. Lunge 45 degrees to the front, then kick. Lunge to the front, kick to the front. That counts as one rep. Repeat 5 times on each leg.
EXERCISE #10 - Tip Toe Lunges. 20 reps. Lunge forward on tip toes, raise arms in the air. Lower arms and alternate legs. Raise arms as you switch legs. Turn around and repeat. Do 20 reps.
EXERCISE #11 - Chair Salutation. 30 second hold, 2x. Pretend you are sitting in a chair, glutes back, chest lifted, arms in the air.
EXERCISE #12 - Toe Roll Iso Lunge. 20 reps each leg. Hold the lunge position, right leg forward, roll forward and back on the ball of your back foot.
EXERCISE #13 - Sumo Squat Walk. Lower into sumo squat position, legs wide, toes turned out, knees pressing back, upper body held up. Take 4 steps forward, 4 steps back. Repeat for 45 secs.
EXERCISE #14 - Calf raises. Toes turned out, 15 reps. Toes facing forward, 15 reps. Toes turned in, 15 reps. Try adding 10 lb weights to this exercise for stronger calves and glutes.
EXERCISE #15 - 80/20 Speed Squats. With 80% of your weight on your right leg and 20% of your weight on your left leg, squat 15 times. Then squat jump 15 times. Switch legs and repeat.
Watch this short demo video to see how to do each move.
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