Equestrain App challenges us to re-think about rider’s workouts and fitness
Short workouts with big impact
It all started 3 years ago after Laura saw an article in the biggest newspaper in Finland about a new research on rider’s physical fitness. The results were not great. Based on the study competitive riders are in weaker physical shape than an average woman at the same age.
”I found it extremely important and I had just had a huge aha-moment myself as a rider after taking a little break from riding, doing other sports and then returning to saddle with better conditioning and body control it felt like a whole new world of riding opened up to me even tough I already had been riding for over 20 years at that point.” Laura explains. ”I looked up what kind of brands and programs were out there for riders who wanted to take action and improve their riding by doing also workouts outside the saddle and I didn’t really find anything that would inspire me or actually fit into my life as a rider.”
Fast forwarding now back to this moment, Equestrain has grown from an idea created sitting on Laura’s parents couch into a global brand spreading it’s wings now with a custom made App and a laptop platform coming up soon.
”Our vision has always been the same since day one. Seeing the future of our sport so that one day it will be as normal in the equestrian sports, as in football or basketball where players do also other things than kick the ball or shoot hoops, that riders do other things that ride to become the best rider they can be.” Laura smiles when asked for what’s the big vision for the work she and her team has set out to do. ”And to really be able to root something deep into this sport, everything we do starts with riding. I am a horse owner myself and every single rider we’ve worked with struggles with time management more or less so from the very beginning we have made it to our priority to tailor everything 100% in a way that it truly fits into the busy equestrian lifestyle.”
Laura’s background is in sports physiotherapy, sports performance coaching and mental coaching and now at the age of 30, she feels like she’s up to the most interesting challenge of her career so far. ”The riders we work with can pin point clearly point out the things they want to improve in their riding. And for me as a coach, I need to be able to pick up the most important elements together when I plan the workouts so that it really creates visible results in the saddle.
And the challenge comes from the desire to keep the workouts short so that they actually fit into the day of a rider. Even 10-15 minutes can be hugely transformative when everything is really planned to help rider to understand how what we do off the saddle is connected to riding once they are back in the saddle.” Laura explains the thought process behind her work.
The riders’ experience
If you ask from riders who already have worked with Laura and Equestrain, it’s pretty clear they are on the right path. One of the professional riders she works with is show jumper Emilie Conter.
“I have way more body control. It has improved in such a short time that it is amazing actually”, she says after working with Laura for some weeks. She is working out four or five times a week and has noticed her hips being less stiff and her seat being straighter.
Emilie used to have a personal trainer, but those hour long workouts were a bit heavy after all the riding, and at the end she didn’t feel very motivated to do the workouts. But Equestrain has shown her a different way of doing things.
“I really like the workouts. Like if you have a busy day, you can do a pre ride routine or an evening relax routine. If you have a less busy day, you can do a more intense workout”, she explains the flexibility of the options.
Noticing the effects of the workouts are helping her to stay consistent and motivated. It’s easier to start doing a workout when you know exactly how good it will make you feel: “I always feel better and more loose in my body.”
”We have already over 200 riders in our App after 5 weeks from the launch and we recommend everyone to start with our 4-week Foundations program. Also Emilie started with it last winter.” Laura explains when asked where a rider interested in trying out workouts to improve their riding should start. Foundations has 2 workouts per week, you can choose either home or gym workouts based on your preference, 1 mobility/stretch workout and 1 short-pre ride routine per week.
“I’ve put my heart and over 12 years of studying and over 20 years of riding into what we have in the App. Foundations program has everything we believe every riders needs to first start with when it comes to mobility and body control. We know Equestrain’s magic is in the way we can really explain how what we just did off the saddle will very quickly change the way you feel in the saddle.”
Laura, Equestrain App
If you’ve ever met anyone who’s eyes sparkle when they talk about something they love, you know what kind of energy radiates from Laura when we talk about the work she does with riders. We think what Equestrain has set out to do is something fresh and exciting for the future of our sport and the best thing we learned about this conversation today is:
You don’t need to hire a PT or spend hours working out outside the saddle to see results. If the workouts are based on that level of expert knowledge and proven track record that Equestrain has, it’s easy to believe when their website says you will have visible results already in two weeks into Foundations program.
Website: www.equestrainapp.com
Instagram: @equestrainapp
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