We are living through challenging times right now. Life as we know it has changed beyond all recognition, and for many of us we have no idea how long the situation will last. One of the challenges we face is that our regular exercise has been curtailed, and whilst this might seem very trivial when people worldwide are losing their lives, actually for many people this is a major issue.

Exercise is essential for mental well being for a large proportion of society. The production of endorphins – the feel good or happy hormones – help us cope with the stressful and negative aspects of life. Hopefully for most horse riders and owners, time with your horse is still allowed, but for some who are self-isolating because of health risks then visiting the yard will be off the cards.

Whatever your individual situation, it is important to find ways of keeping fit and active is essential. As I have already said, keeping active improves mental health. When it comes to physical health, the fitter you are – in general – the better you will cope if you become ill. As horse riders, there is also the long term issue of maintaining fitness in readiness for returning to full activities. Many of you will normally attend classes aimed at improving your strength/balance/fitness, and of course these classes are now on hold.

We all need to play our part in getting through this Covid-19 crisis, by staying at home. So if you are needing to find a reliable source of exercise, then the Ready to Ride YouTube channel is now up and running. I am trying to upload new Pilates sessions regularly – although I have had a bit of a hiatus whilst I transfer my day to day operations over to being online only (which is hard when I am a Physio and work face to face and hands on). If you subscribe then you will get an update when new videos are uploaded. If you follow Ready to Ride on Facebook or Instagram then I am also posting short clips on there too. All these sessions are free, and should be easy to do at home.

Please join me, stay at home and stay safe but keep exercising.

Louise