Teaching horse riding = Exercise?

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Change_is_Good_
Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Couple of questions for you clever bunch.
(I have put this is a horse lovers group on here but thought this might give a broader opinion)

I have recently started teaching and guiding at my old riding school on a Sunday as I missed the horsey life. My boy is on loan a good three hours away and I hadn't ridden regularly for about 3 years.

During the week I am sat at a desk so I would definitely rank myself as sedentary. On a Sunday I am on my feet walking around at various speeds almost solidly for 4-5 hours and then maybe riding 1-2 hours. I'm not out of breath and I don't feel my heart rate gets particularly high but I do ache a little the next day (this is getting less, thankfully).

I don't feel doing this once a week warrants me upping my general activity level so should I be logging this as exercise? If so how on earth would I do that? Will a HRM or pedometer help? All I have been doing so far is counting at as a bonus and not feeling so guilty if I eat a few more calories.

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  • Change_is_Good_
    Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
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    Anyone? :(
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Unless you've suddenly seen a huge amount of weight dropping off of you that is worrisome, I'd just carry on as you are.
  • acloern1985
    acloern1985 Posts: 71 Member
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    I would log it as exercise, but MFP has a few options for calorie burn, I think its horseback riding: walking, horseback riding: trotting, horseback riding: general. If you are mostly walking with just a bit of trotting, I would put the whole thing at the walking level since MFP tends to over estimate the calorie burn. Otherwise if you are walking on the ground and tacking up, etc, I wouldn't log that as exercise. Just my input.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    I would log the entire thing as walking 2 mph. How much are you walking during lessons? Are you leading the horse/rider? Riding obviously would burn more calories than just walking while giving a lesson, but I think calorie burn estimates for an experienced rider are greatly exaggerated on most tools. Unless you're posting during flat work or jumping.

    When I gave lessons, I didn't do a lot of walking - mostly standing in one place and turning LOL.
  • Change_is_Good_
    Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
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    Ta muchly for the input people :flowerforyou:

    Sadly no dramatic weight loss haha

    I teach a mixture of abilities, beginner lessons I sometimes lead or at least walk an inner track the whole time. The more advanced the less walking but then come the lunges and squats to show extension or position, I must be a hoot to watch from afar!

    Might leave as is for now but buy a pedometer just for curiositys sake :smile:
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    My default for all 'weird' things is the 2 mph walking. Like over the summer, I used that for the day we were at the water park all day. I didn't actually log the whole time we were there because it was just too much, but instead did about half of the time. But a pedometer would likely help you.
  • Change_is_Good_
    Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
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    Yeah I was thinking that, 2mph for 4 hours (half the day) might be a good idea, ta


    Wow who works harder on their day off than I'm the week :noway: haha
  • workl8
    workl8 Posts: 2
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    I just started wearing the body media arm band and when I was helping my daughter in the ring I noticed the thing that got he calories going was running in and adjusting the fences.

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