5 Ways To Be Active With Your Dog
I’m sure by now you are aware of the importance of exercise on your overall mental and physical health. We need to be active and so do our dogs. But with our busy lives, it can be a challenge to juggle everything we have to do during the day and also make time for fitness. It’s difficult alone to set time apart for ourselves let alone our dogs.
Fortunately, there are ways to sneak in exercise into our everyday activities with our dogs that have weight loss benefits and also strengthen the bond with our furry companions. The key to success is to “get up and get going.” We know you feel tired. We know you have no motivation to be active. We know you want to relax. But when your dog is waiting for you, don’t just put them in the yard and be done with it. Push yourself to get the physical and mental stimulation you and your dog both need. You’ll thank yourself, and your dog will appreciate the extra effort.
Play Active Fetch
Dogs love to fetch. Throw ball, chase, bring back, repeat. Simple concept. Active fetch involves you in the enjoyment of fetch with your dog. Instead of watching your dog chase the ball and have them bring it back to you, run after the ball, too, and race your dog. Or throw the ball and run in the opposite of the direction on where you threw it. Call out to your dog and have them chase you!
Mix Fitness and Playtime
Nobody likes leg day, but maybe doing it with your dog will help take the mind of the pain. While doing activities like squats or lunges, have your dog weave in and out of your legs. This exercise works best with smaller and medium-sized dogs than large dogs. For large dogs, try rolling a ball or using a laser pointer while you go down a hallway doing lunges.
Fit Clubs
Want a more structured way to do exercises? Join a K9 Fit Club! They offer a variety of classes and activities that humans and dogs can both do like the wall-seat challenge. Perform the wall-seat and have the small dog jump on your lap, or if your dog knows the “paw” command, have them put their paw on your lap. It’s a great way to make the exercise more challenging for the human and it also works out your dog’s legs.
Water Sports
If you and your pup love the water, try activities like paddle boarding or kayaking. It’ll be fun for you and your dog to get out there and enjoy the ocean! Swimming is also a great way to workout your entire body. If you’re in a pool, throw a disk or ball and have your dog swim for it. You can even put a safety vest on your dog and swim beside them.
High-Intensity Walking with Interval Training
The easiest and most convenient exercise you and your dog can do and will both love is walking. Add interval training to make it more intense. Walk, sprint, walk, repeat. It’s a useful way to stimulate your dog physically and mentally, and it’s also great for weight loss. Make sure to stretch! You don’t want to risk pulling a muscle. Ouch!
Working out can feel like a chore, but it doesn’t have to be! A few minutes of working out a day will do wonders for you and your dog both physically and mentally. It’s the best way to strengthen your bond with your canine pal, and that sounds like a win/win to us. So get out there and get to training!