Keep moving Exercise regularly to be ready for polo season By Gwen Rizzo As the global pandemic hit, schools and businesses were shuttered. One by one polo events around the world were cancelled, and it is still unclear when the summer polo season might get underway. In the meantime, most of us have been holed up in our homes. While watching polo games
Martin Perez has transitioned his workouts from the polo field to online during the pandemic.
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on TV and reading books might help bide the time away, it certainly doesn’t help the waistline. I recently spoke with Martin Perez from Fitness for Polo to get some tips on staying fit so you can be ready when the first polo ball is bowled in. Perez has worked as a personal trainer for all levels of polo players and equestrian athletes for decades. He has written books on fitness, contributed articles in equestrian magazines and taught fitness clinics at polo clubs around the world. In an effort to stay connected to his clients, he has adapted to the current situation by offering one-onone training sessions via Zoom, and recently began offering group training sessions. “At the moment, what I am doing is one-on-one with people. I train them live,” he explained. “So, I keep pushing you through the workout. I know what you have so if you tell me, I have two kettle bells and a mat for abs, then I can create a workout and a plan for the week with whatever material you have in your house. I make it as real as possible, like I am there. I keep pushing, I’ll keep counting the repetitions, taking down time and noting your progress.”
