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Fit To Ride
by Sylvie Quenneville |
We are approaching our coldest months in California, and this means having to adapt your preparation according to the weather. A cold muscle cannot perform smoothly and to its full capacity. This occurrence becomes critical on a cold day. In a cold joint, the synovial fluid is not the right consistency to allow for optimal gliding of the joint surfaces. Going into an exercise activity with cold muscles can cause pain and possibly injury. It is true that riding is supposed to make us warm, but often we are cold when we get onto the horse, which is neither good for us nor the horse. We cannot get really warm until the body is so warm itself that it can afford to redistribute warmth. Every horse is grateful to riders who get on with warmed-up bodies. When we get cold, we not only get tense, we pull up our shoulders, our position is stiff or crooked, our legs grip, heels are up, we pull too firmly on the reins. Basically, all of our worst habits can be amplified by a cold and rigid body. Even short-term actions like rubbing the hands, breathing on them, slapping them, sitting on them or hiding them under the horse’s mane cannot bring about any permanent improvement in the blood circulation. Synovial fluid is encapsulated with the joint and its properties are changed depending on the level of activity and movement of the specific joint. When a person is not active, the synovial fluid resembles a thick gel or paste. When the body begins moving, say to warm-up before exercise, then as the body temperature rises, the fluid begins to take on a more viscous consistency to better act as a lubricant within the joints. A common scenario is when people injure a joint by failing to warm-up properly before even the gentlest exercise. If the synovial fluid has not taken on the properties to better protect the joint, injury can occur. The best thing to do is to make sure that a warm-up begins gently and gradually. The heart rate and body temperature increase, which allows the muscles to receive greater blood flow, thus delivering oxygen to all parts of the body. This heightened state of activity will also affect the joints by warming and thinning the synovial fluid and allowing it to better protect the joints. This is more important as we age. The body requires a longer time to warm-up. A proper warm-up will make your muscles and joints looser, stronger and will also prepare you mentally as it increases the blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Besides all the known benefits of fitness, frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system and may even prevent colds. It also improves mental health and helps prevent depression. If you have arthritis, you may want to do something extra. A lot of people like to take a warm bath or apply heat packs to joints before they do any exercise. Easy warm-up exercises can be done at home before going for your ride or at the barn. The length of your warm-up depends on the intensity of your effort but should be at least five to 15 minutes. Your warm-up should elevate your heart rate and provide heat to your muscles. You will know you have achieved your goal when your toes and fingers are fully warm, as the extremities are the last to warm-up. A light five-minute jog, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and jumping jacks are all potential exercises. Whatever you choose, get that body temperature up and your muscles loosened up before you ride. Stretching is also good but should be done after the warm-up when your muscles are warm and ready for this increased, pressured pulling. There are many ways to warm up. Try these simple Equestric squats with a shoulder press as part of your warm-up. Do two sets of 20 repetitions with a one-minute rest in between each set.
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