While the horses obviously do a lot of the work, there’s no denying that polo requires a LOT of fitness from the player too! So, if you’re getting ready for a polo vacation, it’s a good idea to do a little preparation so you can make the most of it. Here are a few of our Fitness for Polo tips for getting polo-fit, in and out of the saddle.
Fitness for Polo Tips
1. Up your cardio
Polo is a fast and furious sport, Chukkas may not be long, but they’re incredibly intense, so you need to have reasonable cardiovascular fitness! There are lots of ways to improve your cardio fitness – from jogging and cycling to boxing, squash and tennis. Boxing can be especially good for polo fitness, as it’s usually interval-style training (short, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short periods of rest – just like a polo match).
2. Core strength counts
Given the huge range of movement that a polo player needs to have, it really helps to be strong! Looking at professional players, you can see they generally have long, lean muscles and extremely good core strength. To build this up, we recommend exercises like Pilates and yoga, both of which improve core strength and flexibility. These both help massively when you’re trying to take a shot and stay balanced on a moving horse at the same time!
There are also some really simple exercises you can do at home, such as planks and squats, that help develop strength in the right places (shoulders, back and legs for a start).
3. Try to get your riding muscles ready
Riding a horse (on or off the polo field) really is an all-body work-out, and it involves muscles you may not use at any other time. So, in the lead-up to a polo vacation, it’s really helpful to spend as many hours in the saddle possible. This is much easier if you have access to a horse – but even if you don’t, it can be worth booking some free riding or riding lessons. If you feel confident with the basics, ask your coach to school you in the two-point position, which will certainly help improve your balance and build up strength in your leg muscles.
4. Stretch it out
It’s easy to focus on your workout and forget about the cool-down – but there’s no point being strong if you’re stiff as a board! Yoga is ideal to help you limber up all over, and it can even help to spend a few minutes stretching each morning when you wake up. There are loads of demo videos on YouTube if you’re not sure what to do! And if you need some extra guidance and support, why not check out fitnessforpolo.com – a great website with programs you can do remotely anywhere in the world.
Got any fitness tips of your own to share? We’d love to hear them! Just email us at info@polodays.com
