Physical Training

Physical training is part of the daily grind of weyrlinghood, aiming to give each new rider the strength, stamina and overall health to deal with the rigors of riderdom. Most of these exercises will start out at an easy to moderate pace with their difficulty increasing as weyrlinghood progresses.

Stretches - Before all physical activities, weyrlings are taught a series of stretches, both for themselves and for their lifemates. Limber bodies and warm muscles are less likely to sustain injury due to strain or stress.

Laps - Running is a great way to work those muscles and build up stamina. Though not all weyrling schedules will line up at first, by the third month, the Weyrling class will be participating in laps, either at dawn or dusk when the weather is cooler.

Crunches and Push-Ups - These are classics for firming up core muscles and building the upper-body strength needed for many facets of dragonriding.

Swimming - Considering that Ista is on an island and that dragonbathing may require some submersion, all weyrlings will learn to swim. In addition, swimming may be used, either in the garden pool or the sea, to continue to strengthen muscles, encourage flexibility and improve stamina.

Sack Throwing - While this exercise starts with bags of sand, eventually weyrlings will use bags of firestone. They will usually be assembled in a circle, passing bags at varying distances. Care will be taken to make sure that each weyrling is able to throw firestone sacks in accordance with the standards for distance and accuracy and also to catch them reliably and safely.

Relays - To break the monotony of laps upon laps, the weyrlingmasters may set up relay races. A favorite is to split the weyrlings into two teams, pitting them against each other in a race on foot from a point on the beach, then swimming in the water out to the raft and back before finishing on foot again. The first team to have all its members complete the lap wins. It's a particularly grueling exercise.

Games - In addition to relays, the monotony of normal exercise is broken up by games. These can be anything from a good tug-o-war (weyrlings vs. weyrlings, or weyrlings vs. dragonets when big enough) to a rousing game of tag. Anything that works the body and gets people sweating can be used as a potential work out.

Self Defense - Dragonriders are not fighters. These exercises will focus on disarming and immobilizing opponents.