How Much Cardio You Should Do to Stay Fit for Riding

I do cardio at the gym at least a few days a week and I always do it for half an hour, but I honestly don’t really know if it’s doing anything at this point. Can you tell me what the ideal amount of time actually is?

I like 20 minutes. I’ve found that if my goal is to increase my cardio capacity, it’s really a perfect amount of time. I look at it like this; there’s cardio endurance (how long can I go at a relatively comfortable pace, which is what most people do on a treadmill at the gym) but then there’s increasing my body’s ability to consume oxygen (aka VO2 max) and that’s a whole different thing.

If increased cardio capacity is what I’m after then I have to “push it” in order to increase it.  This is where the use of interval training comes in. Just think — make it harder till you can’t stand it, then make it easier till you’re ready to make it harder again. Your overall time should be 20 minutes, but the intervals are different depending on your current cardio capacity. For some it might be 30 seconds of “push” followed by 1 minute of recuperation, for others it may be the opposite. Remember that it has to be uncomfortable in order to see improvement. So put on your ear buds and your willingness to be uncomfortable for 20 minutes and go for it!

If you’d like more personalized help? I offer virtual training to riders everywhere so I’d love to hear from you!

For more information on virtual training, visit my website: http://www.blackjackfarmsandiego.com

Happy riding!

Robin

“A true horseman will only ask athletic feats of his horse if he has his own body under control.”

– from The Principals of Riding/German
National Equestrian Federation