Happy Tuesday guys! How is everyone today? Did you all start your week off with an intense workout and some healthy food? I know I did. In fact, I just got out of the hot tub trying to stretch my aching muscles! This pre wedding, crash low carb wedding regimine has me working HARD.

Last week you saw Anton and I highlight some of our “couples therapy” workout moves. We’ve got a few more and a fun beach routine to include, but before that, I wanted to deviate for a quick sec and talk about one of my favorite subjects: horse back riding.

Now I’ve got WAY more wedding posts to go highlighting this crazy routine I’m now on but I thought we’d take a break and look at some fun fitness aside from the gym, yoga studio and my pilates office!

Have you ever considered playing polo?

It may seem like only professional, amazing, Argentine cowboy type riders can handle the sport but think again! I got into polo when I saw the sign that said first lesson free at the San Diego Polo Club. Growing up showing my Arabians and jumpers, I thought, what the heck. A free lesson on a horse sounds great.

I was rusty.

Super rusty.

I don’t think I’d ridden in a few years since my beautiful mare Starlet passed away at the age of 31. It didn’t matter most players were beginner to intermediate riders so I had a major advantage. I instantly fell in love.

Polo is FUN. It’s exhilarating. It’s fast. You get to play with the boys and knock them around. They had me hook, line and sinker.

I was sweaty. I was huffing and puffing after my first practice sessions.

Wow.

I was competing professionally in ballroom dance at the time so I know I was in great shape. Then I come out to ride and polo kicked my butt! Seriously, I was SO sore. The amount of CORE and muscle groups you need to use to maintain balance and ride to win is incredible. Not only do I love the horses and riding them, but the adrenaline rush you get from playing a polo game is intensely addictive!

Polo, known as the sport of Kings, can actually be played on a budget. You can lease a horse each time you schedule a practice session. Once you get really good, it makes sense to buy your own horse or horses so you can progress further, but you in no way have to.

You can lease horses for every game which can save you a lot of money! Leasing is easy. You write a check, play and give the horse back to the polo club for them to take care of.

My schedule is crazy. I’m always rushing from one lesson to the next, place to place, hour to hour. So for me to own a horse, it just wouldn’t be fair to the horse right now. I’m always working, on the go or out of town. Being able to lease a horse when I can and ride and play when I can, is amazing. It’s the best deal ever!

Now when you tell me I can lease, ride and travel around the world, you have me HOOKED FOR LIFE. Seriously, I can think of nothing better. Vacations staying active and playing polo in some of the most beautiful destinations in the world?

Sign me up, STAT please!

My first out of town trip playing polo was to Indio, a few hours’ drive from San Diego. A group of us players from the San Diego polo club signed up for a two day workshop of games and instruction. With the mountains and palm trees as your backdrop to huge, open, green polo fields, you don’t ever want to leave.

From Indio to Argentina, Dominican Republic to Dubai, there’s enough polo to go around for everyone.

The beauty of it is, you can create your own budget.

You can create your own goals and expectations.

Polo will keep you young and fit for life!

I LOVE hobbies that keep me fit. I don’t have time to have a hobby and then go to the gym. Forget that. Too time consuming plus I’m in the gym teaching all the time anyways.

There’s no cheating in the sport of polo. You need a strong, flexible body and good cardio endurance to keep up with the big boys on these polo fields! Every time you hit the fields, prepare to sweat and workout. Just riding a horse will get those muscles fired up. Now try riding, swinging a polo mallet in the air, hanging off the saddle while trying to stay on your horse, and pushing you and your horse into other horses and riders to keep them away from the ball? It sounds like a mixture of golf, soccer and martial arts on horseback, doesn’t it?!

Weights, cardio, interval training, barre, pilates or yoga might just help in your polo training. Ya’ think?!

And remember, if polo is not for you, that’s okay too. There’s always a beautiful clubhouse with delicious bites and drinks you can run to! 🙂 Polo is quite a social affair so if you’d rather socialize and cheer your friends and significant others on than ride, you need not look further than the clubhouse.

My personal preference? I enjoy both. I love to get sweaty and dirty on the field first then clean up and put on my sundress, high heels and hat to enjoy the professionals as they take the field.

A seriously well rounded sport, wouldn’t you say?

Do any of you guys play or watch polo? Which do you prefer? Are there any awesome clubs you recommend? Any tips on how to learn polo safely and efficiently so you can become a successful player– even if you’ve never ridden a horse before??

xx Shanna