A horse ride is a great exercise as well as romantic
With Valentine’s day approaching and love in the air, many of you will be thinking of romantic date ideas to surprise your loved one. At first thought, chocolates, roses and candlelit dinners come to mind. However, this year, why not try something different? Something new and exciting that you and your partner can continue to enjoy together throughout the year. If this appeals to you, I have just the thing: horse riding!
Horse riding is often considered as a recreational activity. Something to be enjoyed and learnt, rather than a bonified form of exercise. Well, yes it’s fun and, to outsiders, might not look all that strenuous but, actually, horse riding provides a fantastic whole body workout. It’s amazing for burning calories and body conditioning.
Here are 5 reasons to love horse riding.
1) CARDIO-WORKOUT
Horse riding is a great form of cardio. It gets your adrenalin pumping, your pulse raised and really kick-starts your metabolism. This means that it’s fantastic for burning fat.
Did you know…? Just 1 hour of horse riding burn as many as 650 calories. That’s way more than a 1 hour game of badminton…that only burns 300 calories!
2) BODY-CONDITIONING
Horse riding is great for toning and conditioning your muscles. When riding, a riders’ muscles relax and contract according to the horse’s movement. Plus, the ride might look easy but constantly having to adapt your body positioning using small and controlled movements means that every single muscle of your body will become naturally strengthened and toned. Arms, legs, stomach, back… you name it, it tones it!
3) EXERCISE? REALLY?!
One of the advantages of horse riding is that, despite being a great cardio and body-conditioning workout, it doesn’t feel like exercise. This makes it perfect for people who don’t enjoy ‘typical’ workouts. Exercise doesn’t always need to feel like exercise so for people looking for an enjoyable hobby to keep them fit, this is definitely for them.
4) IMPROVED BODY AWARENESS, BALANCE AND CO-ORDINATION
Horse riding requires good balance and co-ordination as the rider must listen and be aware of what the horse is doing, and adapt their own body movement accordingly. Therefore, the muscles and thought processes required to balance on the horse and to ride have been proven to significantly improve core strength, stability, posture and co-ordination.
5) IT’S THE PERFECT ROMANTIC VALENTINE’S DATE
A big appeal of horse riding is that it’s fun, romantic and can be enjoyed at countless beautiful locations around the world. Through the English countryside, Italian vineyards, Spanish mountains, the possibilities are endless.
Whether you want to try it alone or with others, you can. However, if you’re looking for a special Valentine’s treat, why not book a romantic horse riding lesson for yourself and your partner in London’s prestigious Hyde Park. Whether you’re an Olympian or a beginner, the friendly staff will adapt the experience to suit you. Plus, not only do you get a memorable, romantic experience but you’ll also learn some historical facts as you ride past some of the most iconic places in the world. This includes Marble Arch, The Diana Princess of Wales Fountain, The Serpentine and Rotton Row - the most famous horse ride in the world.
Wherever you are, for anybody looking to get fit, take a romantic trip or experience something new as a couple, horse riding is the perfect Valentine’s date idea. So why not surprise your partner and give it a try?
2014 is the year of the horse after all so when better to start. Healthy Heart, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind!
You can learn to horse ride at a wide variety of places throughout the UK but, if you would like to try the Hyde Park experience, visit www.hydeparkstables.com for more information.
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