Lifestyle
Bored with the gym? Why jousting is the ultimate workout
The Guardian · 04 Jul 2017
It’s one of the oldest equestrian sports in the world and, according to new research, it produces elite athletes with fitness levels comparable to those of professional footballers, champion tennis players and Formula One drivers combined.
So what exactly is it about racing towards an opponent on a horse galloping at up to 30mph while wearing heavy armour and brandishing a 3.6m (12ft) wooden lance that makes jousters so fit? “It’s an all-round sport exercising every muscle in the body,” explains 49-year-old professional jouster Dominic Sewell. “That’s possibly missing from modern-day sports, which tend to be very specific. It’s great to look back centuries and realise jousters were such amazing sportspeople.” Read More
So what exactly is it about racing towards an opponent on a horse galloping at up to 30mph while wearing heavy armour and brandishing a 3.6m (12ft) wooden lance that makes jousters so fit? “It’s an all-round sport exercising every muscle in the body,” explains 49-year-old professional jouster Dominic Sewell. “That’s possibly missing from modern-day sports, which tend to be very specific. It’s great to look back centuries and realise jousters were such amazing sportspeople.” Read More