Great Exercise – Dog Walking
Dog Walking is a great weight loss work out due to it giving steady non impact exercise and helping from an inspirational / happinessstand point. Nothing is betterthan spending time outdoors with man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Additionally you can also meet many interesting people and have something to talk to them about.
Dog Walking is work our that everyone can do. What’s great about it is that you can do it alone or with somebody. If you do not have someone, the dog provides great company. It’s pretty easy to do, and requires nothing, apart from a dog, a lead and comfortable shoes. It also costs nothing, in fact you can make money out of it. In addition it can be done just about anywhere, even in London dog walking is popular.
Dog walking has many benefits. It burns calories, it helps with weight control. An hour or so of dog walking ( that is you with the dog!) will burn between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not pressure your legs and ankles, unlike running, which can damage your joints and bones.
In fact it actually helps the knees. The act of dog walking encourages cartilage growth and the flow of synovial fluid within the knee. It also builds the muscles that protect the knee.
Since dog walking is weight-bearing it also helps strengthens the muscles that shield the hips. At the same time it strengthens bones therefore minimising the likelihood of fracture due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the main muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the chance for getting low back pain.
The increased effort needed for dog walking helps the heart to pump more efficiently. This aids blood pressure reduction with the resultant reduced risk for stroke and heart attack.
Dog walking increases the respiratory rate (breathing rate), promotes increased flow of oxygen to the rest of the body and also helps eliminate the build up of carbon dioxide. A major plus for you and the dog is improved energy.
There is some evidence that exercise such as dog walking raises endorphin production which helps relieve pain, decreases serum cortisol levels which helps reduce stress (as does having animals around, so a double benefit), and may also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So how do I {kick off with} start dog walking.
Pretty easy. The first thing is to make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes. If you suffer from flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not overdo it at the very beginning. You should gradually increase the amount you walk. A good target is 10,000 steps per day, which is approximately 5 miles. Don’t worry it is not that far, remember, most people already walk about 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day during the course of a normal day. Do not forget that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same characteristics, require to walk over 5 miles a day. Most have the strength for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your health, you can build up from low levels. Only one problem, I don’t have a dog. Not a problem, enquire around, there are many individuals who are time starved and don’t have ~sufficient time for walking their dog. More and more, during these economical times, dogs are being given to into pet charities, so either volunteer for dog walking or why not take a dog home with you.
Strapped for cash, why not earn money by helping out people who do not have time for dog walking and looking after their pets such as London Pet Sitting and London Cat Sitting.
What speed for your dog walking will depend on you and your dog. Start cautiously. A medium pace, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. You should be breathing faster and feel your heart rate going up but still be able to carry on a conversation. You need to make sure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for the dog and it is more exhausting for you.
Remember, it’s important to keep up your dog walking routine, for both your weight loss and the dog(s)! Enjoy it and lose some weight!
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let us call out the fact that simple activities like these can actually help people lose weight. Too bad a lot of us take them for granted
It’s amazing how much easier it is to walk if you have a reason. And one good reason is to exercise your dog. I have had a lower back problem for several years and for about the last 2 years have religiously been taking our pooch for 2 walks a day, rain or shine. The improvement I have felt has been remarkable.
Recently when I was ill and couldn’t go for almost 2 weeks I could really feel that back pain gremlin getting back to work.
This is a great article and I highly recommend all of what is outlined. Give it a go.