Chukka Wellness: Your Winter Workout Guide

India Parker-Smith is the founder and owner of Chukka Wellness which provides the leading training and movement methodology designed for the equestrian athlete to enhance suppleness, stability and strength in the saddle. India is a Personal Trainer who offers online and offline fitness training designed to elevate the well-being of the equestrian athlete. Using her knowledge of seven years she has created a series of masterclasses, a virtual membership hub and online training programmes all designed to complement the equestrian’s health and wellness both in and out of the saddle. You will find more information on India’s services on her website www.chukkawellness.co.uk and Instagram page @chukka_wellness

Your Winter Workout Guide

Staying fit & healthy throughout winter

We always recommend players give their bodies a well-deserved rest after the UK summer season. This is essential to avoid burn out, to rest any aches or pains and focus on resetting before the next season begins.

However, many players avoid starting back up their fitness training after this rest period until at least a few weeks before the next summer season begins. This long period of no exercise followed by an intense season playing can be hard on the body:

• Muscles are now unconditioned to the movement patterns of polo leading to a potential strain or pull. • If injuries haven’t been addressed; they may start to flare back up again causing the player to pull out of tournaments. • Cardio fitness is low leading to a longer recovery period in-between chukkas and a reduction in mental alertness during play. • If core strength hasn’t been maintained; players are more susceptible to back issues!

Stating the obvious – to avoid many of these issues we recommend staying fit and healthy throughout the winter period.

We like to break down training programmes into Pre-Season, On-Season & Off-Season and for many the winter months are the Off-Season!

Here is where you can choose to either increase the intensity of your workouts to bulletproof the body for the next season and/ or focus on body maintenance and injury rehab.

Regardless of what your main focus is on, here are a few exercises to help you with your basic polo fitness.

Stay Supple

If you are focusing on addressing some mechanical issues; an effective mobility routine can help ease aches and pains. Try these movements to stay supple throughout winter. Keep the exercises dynamic moving in and out of the stretch.

Low Lunge with Thoracic Twist Thread the Needle Child’s Pose Hamstring Stretch

Stay Stable

We don’t want to lose any stability in the joints so try these functional exercises to keep those polo muscles active.

Split Lunge (Hip, Leg & Ankle Stability) • Start in standing position and fall out to one side landing with a bent leg and your hips pushed back. Keeping the core tight, squeeze your glute and leg muscles to bring you back up to the starting position. Switch legs – 15-20 reps per leg.

Thread the Needle Child’s Pose

Low Lunge with Thoracic Twist

Photography by Chukka Wellness

• Single Leg Glute Bridge on your toes (Hip

Stability, Core Control, Glute activation) Lying on your back lift your hips off the ground and come up onto your tip toes. Keeping one leg bent at a 90 degree bend slowly lift the leg keeping the hips square. Hold and gently rest it back on the ground. Switch legs – 10-15 reps per leg.

Leg Sweeps (Hip Stability) • Start on one leg and lifting the other foot up off the ground sweep it in a semi circle around your body. You should feel the glute muscles in your standing leg activate to hold you in this position. Hold for 45 seconds per leg.

• Single arm row (Shoulder & Back Stability) Starting in a split stance lean forward with your torso ensuring your core and back muscles are engaged. Slowly raise the arm holding the weight keeping your elbow close to your side. You should feel a squeeze in your mid back muscles. • Kneeling Shoulder Press (Hip Stability,

Shoulder Stability, Glute Strength) Start on your knees, squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight. Bring your arm with the weight up to a 90 degree bend. Slowly extend your arm up in to the air and then back down to 90 degrees.

Stay Fit

Riders need to be able to recover quickly in-between chukkas and game days so having a good level of cardio fitness can prolong good quality play time.

Try adding in 1-2 cardio sessions a week including a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic training sessions.

Aerobic – 5K run/cycle/swim and focus on improving your time.

Anaerobic – 8-10x 100m hill sprints (running, cycling) ** We highly recommend seeing a Physio or Chiropractor before restarting any training after the season. For those based near the Cowdray area we recommend Chiropractor and fellow Polo Times contributor, Matt Kenna.

Health Check

Any fitness training programme requires a strong immune system making nutrition an important element to your overall health – especially with the ‘it’s not covid cold’ going around!

Here are some basic things you can start implementing into your daily schedule: • Lots of filtered water • Take a good quality Vitamin C and D supplement and Omega 3 • Rest is Best if you are feeling unwell • Lean proteins, organic vegetables and fatty foods such as avocados and oily fish.

Struggle With Motivation?

If you require some more guidance or struggle to your training programme, Chukka Wellness offers a range of virtual services such as: • 8 Week Pre-Season Training

Programme which includes daily workouts, meal suggestions, warm ups and stretches. • Membership hub full of ‘follow-along’ workouts, mobility routines, stretches and nutritional advice. • If you are looking to continue playing polo through the winter months and are desperate for some sun – we will be working at La Tarde Polo Club in

Argentina. Along with daily Stick &

Ball sessions and Chukkas, we will also be providing daily warm ups and stretching sessions with the option to try some 1-2-1 fitness training with us too!

Book Now: www.latardepoloclub.com

Take Home Note

By staying fit and healthy throughout the next five months will reduce the necessity for an intense pre-season fitness programme. This in turn will open up more time to focus on prepping your string and less time worrying about injuries!