Why doesn't my exercise count?
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popcorn7225
Posts: 29 Member
So ride horses competitively (and at a high level) and I've done so for approx 8 years straight. I have VERY strong core and legs. I ride 5 days a week for an hour a day plus all of the extras that go with it like grooming, tacking up and cleaning up afterwards.
I wear a HRM and I burn 500 cal an hr while being in my zone for a min of 30 min. My average HR is 155 throughout the entire session.
I've started with MFP 2 weeks ago and people are telling me I need to do more than ride daily because my body is used to riding. If that's the case should people who work out everyday have to so something else too? Aren't their body's use to working out too?
What does it matter if my body is used to riding or not? I'm still literally dripping in sweat and sometimes out of breath, my clothes are soaked. My body is exhausted when I'm done riding and it sure does feel like a good workout. When I walk for exercise I barely get out of breath but I don't go that long either. I don't jog bc it's just too taxing on my cardio and really isn't enjoyable to me at all.
Can someone please explain this?
I do have the option to ride a bike or swim but most days after riding I'm exhausted!
I wear a HRM and I burn 500 cal an hr while being in my zone for a min of 30 min. My average HR is 155 throughout the entire session.
I've started with MFP 2 weeks ago and people are telling me I need to do more than ride daily because my body is used to riding. If that's the case should people who work out everyday have to so something else too? Aren't their body's use to working out too?
What does it matter if my body is used to riding or not? I'm still literally dripping in sweat and sometimes out of breath, my clothes are soaked. My body is exhausted when I'm done riding and it sure does feel like a good workout. When I walk for exercise I barely get out of breath but I don't go that long either. I don't jog bc it's just too taxing on my cardio and really isn't enjoyable to me at all.
Can someone please explain this?
I do have the option to ride a bike or swim but most days after riding I'm exhausted!
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What type of riding are you doing? I showed competitively for 14 years and my HR would never have approached that level (western and hunt seat). I suppose if I spent the entire hour posting then maybe.
I suspect people are saying that based on their experience with riding and the fact that it doesn't typically raise your HR into the aerobic zone much at all - especially for those who are used to it. Based on your description of your riding sessions, I think you're fine.
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I guess I am confused of the question?
The riding absolutely does count. I would definitely think that 500 is a huge stretch for an hour of horseback riding, but I am sure you burn something and they do count.0 -
I ride upper level dressage. It's a LOT of work staying with a 1500lb animal and looking like I'm sitting still. They bounce you all around and you must constantly be constricting your muscles to stay with them and not bounce.
Dressage is a lot different than western and hunt seat. It's constant body control.0 -
People are telling me my body is used to the work so it's not really counting as exercise. I just don't understand thatI guess I am confused of the question?
The riding absolutely does count. I would definitely think that 500 is a huge stretch for an hour of horseback riding, but I am sure you burn something and they do count.
I don't ride like you may think if you were to rent a horse and go on a trail ride and everyone stays in a line walking. I competitively and at a high level so it's constant muscle contraction and release the entire ride. If that makes sense. I'd post a video but not sure it would convey just how hard it is. It appears to be just sitting there but it's honestly a ton of work staying with a moving being.
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Since riding at that level is something you have always done maybe they think you have included it in your activity level already and shouldn't account for it twice. Kind of like someone with a very physical job would choose active instead of sedentary and not log what they burn doing their job 5 days a week. If you didn't account for it already in your lifestyle activity level then I think you could log it.0
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No I didn't count it when I signed up.0
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yes it should count0
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I think they are meaning that if you constantly do the same work out, it's less effective after a while. Like, if you do the same amount of bicep curls with 15 lb weights for 6 months straight, it's less effective at the end of those 6 months than it was at the begining. You say people who work out should change it up then, and it's true, and usually they do change it up each day. Upper body one day, lower body the next, core, cardio, etc, adding weight or reps as time goes. You're doing the same type of riding every single day. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just explaining what others might possibly be meaning.0
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If it's not listed here, maybe you can Google for calories burned while horseback riding, or something, and then create your own exercise? Definitely it sounds like a work out so I would count it as such.0
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dressage is tough stuff and certainly gives a good core/leg workout!
Defninitely count it but I doubt your HRM is being super accurate, its not going to be a steady cardio session since you are transitioning between w/t/c and different exercises throughout the ride. Start with what your HRM tells you and if you are losing faster or slower than you should be that might be one of the areas to look at for adjustment in the future.0 -
Yes. Monkey Mel I think that's what they mean too but not sure I understand. I do understand that what I do is more taxing on beginners than it is on me but I think the HRM should still be a good indicator of a good work out....right?0
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Since riding at that level is something you have always done maybe they think you have included it in your activity level already and shouldn't account for it twice. Kind of like someone with a very physical job would choose active instead of sedentary and not log what they burn doing their job 5 days a week. If you didn't account for it already in your lifestyle activity level then I think you could log it.
This. It's not about what you are used to, it's about what you entered as your activity level when you joined. If you chose sedentary or lightly active (or whatever your activity level would be without the riding), you definitely should be logging your riding. Some people choose to eat less than 100% of their exercise calories (50% seems popular) but if you want to be accurate, you should be logging it.0 -
I suspect people are saying that based on their experience with riding and the fact that it doesn't typically raise your HR into the aerobic zone much at all - especially for those who are used to it. Based on your description of your riding sessions, I think you're fine.
I rode hunter for many years and once we got up to the working trot, cantering, and jumping my HR was definitely in the aerobic level, also helps when you have the world laziest horse and have to create his energy
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Count it! Just because you aren't building new muscle, being as it is an activity level your body is accustomed to, doesn't mean you aren't burning a ton of calories still. It sounds like you are counting it for the cardio, just like a runner, rower, etc would, which you absolutely should. Many people on here are very focused on increasing their athletic capabilities, and forget that not everyone needs to do that to make a realistic weight loss goal.0
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Count it! Just because you aren't building new muscle, being as it is an activity level your body is accustomed to, doesn't mean you aren't burning a ton of calories still. It sounds like you are counting it for the cardio, just like a runner, rower, etc would, which you absolutely should. Many people on here are very focused on increasing their athletic capabilities, and forget that not everyone needs to do that to make a realistic weight loss goal.
You aren't burning TONS of calories doing dressage.
You may burn a fair bit- but it's not tons.
Even when I was racing endurance (which is literally ALL DAY in all kinds of elements) I wasn't burning tons.
Yes it's work. But no- it's probably not as much work as you think. I also would never consider riding to be exercise. I acknowledge that it's physical work- but I wouldn't' count it as exercise.
I would gladly exercise to support my riding- and make me a better athlete- but I wouldn't' count riding as exercise- it's not- it's work- but it's not exercise.0 -
I was told that as well when I had an active job and it really irked me.
I think what they mean is that, if you are riding almost every day, that's really included in your activity level rather than as additional exercise. Someone who chooses "sedentary" is given fewer calories for their daily goal than someone who chooses one of the other activity levels.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about additional exercise. For weight loss, what you eat is what you need to track.0 -
Ok Thanks everyone. It just didn't make sense to me to not count it. There really isn't much more I can do in the day workout wise besides walk. I really am tired after riding. Maybe when I drop some weight I'll have more energy to do more but right now I'm just concentrating on eating healthy and getting those rides in. Also I entered myself in a sedentary bc I wanted to track my riding and try not to eat back those calories since I know the HRM is not 100% accurate.0
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
I suspect people are saying that based on their experience with riding and the fact that it doesn't typically raise your HR into the aerobic zone much at all - especially for those who are used to it. Based on your description of your riding sessions, I think you're fine.
I rode hunter for many years and once we got up to the working trot, cantering, and jumping my HR was definitely in the aerobic level, also helps when you have the world laziest horse and have to create his energy
Mine was like that too, but I still don't think my HR got that high (and I was nationally ranked at the end so it wasn't user error LOL). But, I was infinitely younger at the time too LOL.
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I wouldn't' count riding as exercise- it's not- it's work- but it's not exercise.
I think you're getting hung up on semantics. If it makes you feel better, we can call it a "calorie burning endeavor". But the bottom line is, physical activity burns calories. What you call it doesn't matter. If you haven't accounted for those activities in your activity level, then you *can* add calories onto your day. While not everyone actually does this, that is how this site/app is set up. I personally find it motivating to be able to eat more on days I have more physical activity.0 -
Count it! Just because you aren't building new muscle, being as it is an activity level your body is accustomed to, doesn't mean you aren't burning a ton of calories still. It sounds like you are counting it for the cardio, just like a runner, rower, etc would, which you absolutely should. Many people on here are very focused on increasing their athletic capabilities, and forget that not everyone needs to do that to make a realistic weight loss goal.
You aren't burning TONS of calories doing dressage.
You may burn a fair bit- but it's not tons.
Even when I was racing endurance (which is literally ALL DAY in all kinds of elements) I wasn't burning tons.
Yes it's work. But no- it's probably not as much work as you think. I also would never consider riding to be exercise. I acknowledge that it's physical work- but I wouldn't' count it as exercise.
I would gladly exercise to support my riding- and make me a better athlete- but I wouldn't' count riding as exercise- it's not- it's work- but it's not exercise.
No I don't think I burn a TON I think I burn 500 - TEE for that hour. I also feel like I''m burning before I ride and after and I don't even consider them.
The other question I have is.....there are many people who ride 5-10 horses a day. While most of them are a healthy weight what must they be eating to counter balance all that exercise?
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