ADS
As Equestrians, we generally have no problems staying busy. The biggest reason a rider can’t get in the gym is simply, “I don’t have enough time.”
We generally stay pretty busy most of the year, so physical activity doesn’t lack in our department. What does lack is strength training our underused areas and the most important— NUTRITION. You can’t outride a bad diet. When I say ‘diet’ I don’t mean Keto, Carnivore, Paleo, or Atkins. I mean the food and drinks you put into your body.
Here are 5 tips to get your nutrition in a better place to keep up with your equine athletes:
1. Prioritize protein. Aim for 1 gram per pound of lean body mass (or your goal weight). Some good sources of protein are whey, chicken, fish, egg whites (not yolks — those are a great source of fat), lean beef or bison, ham, and Greek yogurt.
2. Drink your water. Your fluid intake should be around .5 oz of water per pound of bodyweight plus 12oz for every 30 minutes of vigorous activity. Example: for a 200 lb person who completed 30 minutes of exercise: (200 lb x .5 = 100 oz of water + 12 oz = 112 oz total daily water).
3. Drink less alcohol. Reserve alcohol for special occasions only. Cutting down on your alcohol intake allows you to function at your best levels for your equine athlete, as well for your own internal health.
4. Set mealtimes and avoid snacking. So many times, we run in and out of the house or trailer grabbing a handful of pretzels in passing between horses and bathroom breaks, but we don’t actually sit down and eat until its almost bedtime and by that point we are ravenous and overeat everything in sight. This causes us to overeat on all the wrong foods and put us in a caloric surplus (more calories than we need) for the day. Take time to establish real meals. Eating an adequate breakfast, lunch, and dinner are crucial to keep our energy and hunger level throughout the day and into the evening.
5. Avoid sugary beverages. If you are struggling with weight loss or poor body composition, look at your drinks. Your latte in the morning, the full sugar Redbull 2x a day, and the 3 Dr. Peppers you just drank with dinner. Let’s add those calories quick. That’s 970 calories that you drank today. Whether you make the switch to zero sugar/diet options or cut it out all together, it is something to be accounted for.
Kris Vilas was born and raised in Utah and started riding at 6 years old. Her parents were not horse people, but at age 12 she found her passion for barrel racing on a borrowed horse. She was involved in high school, college, and amateur rodeo until she took time off to have kids. She re-entered the world of barrel racing in 2016 after moving to North Dakota.Vilas also has a passion for weight lifting and started her journey into competitive bodybuilding in 2019. She received her Personal Training Certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, is enrolled in the Certified Nutritionist Course (NASM) and Functional Nutrition (Jason Theobald). She is a hockey mom of 4, barrel racer, virtual health & fitness coach, personal trainer, competition prep coach, competitive bodybuilder (bikini division), and wife.