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6 Ways Your Dog Can Help You on Your Fitness Journey

Fitness, Happiness, Health

6 Ways Your Dog Can Help You on Your Fitness Journey

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Are you trying to get fit? If this is your goal, your dog will be the ultimate fitness tool. You don’t need to purchase expensive fitness tools; just follow these tips and you will achieve your fitness goals.

While many activities don’t need any workout tools, you will need to purchase a suitable dog leash and harness when working out with your dog outdoors. You should also take time to teach your dog proper behavior as he will have to interact with other pets and human beings.

With that said, here are six ways your dog can help you on your fitness journey.

Contents

1. Go for Walks

Walking is probably the most underrated form of exercise. With this workout, you can burn approximately 240 calories in an hour. Walking on your own can get boring, and this is where your dog comes in.

Dogs naturally love going for walks. They will always wiggle their tails and get excited when you grab the leash and heavy duty dog harness, and this can motivate you to take daily walks. Taking walks with your dog will also help to keep your pet healthy and happy.

2. Go for Runs

If you have a high-energy dog, you can instead go for daily runs. This will help you burn more calories per hour. On average, you can expect to burn about 640 calories in an hour.

Lots of celebrities have taken up running as this has proven to be a great way of burning fat. You don’t need to sprint throughout the session; you can also just jog with your dog. Make sure you pick a pace that suits you as straining yourself can be dangerous. You can increase your pace as you improve your fitness levels.

For running, you can pick a hands-free dog leash. Instead of holding them in your hand, you can wrap them around your waist.

3. Take the Dog on a Hike

Hiking on your own can get boring, which is why you need to take your furry sidekick on the trail. While you will be walking the entire way, you will be able to burn more calories because of the challenging trail. It is essential to take your dog to the vet before the hike to ensure that he is healthy enough for the walk.

Also, brush up on obedience training and trail etiquette. You will also need to carry a first-aid kit for your pet.

4. Take Up Biking

Biking is a great activity for burning calories. It is fun and interesting, so you won’t feel like quitting in a short while. You should note that biking will be more intense for you and your dog, so you must take some time to build stamina. It is also better to bike only with larger dogs since they have longer legs.

Biking leashes are meant to attach directly to the bike as you will need both hands to steer the bicycle.

5. Engage in Frisbee Races

This is one activity that is suitable for all dogs. Frisbee races will give you an opportunity to race your dog in a fun way. You just need to learn how to throw the frisbee in such a way that it glides slowly through the air. If you want the workout to be less intense, you can get another partner to throw the frisbee back and forth. It is also possible to undertake such races with a tennis ball.

6. Try Out Dog Yoga

Yoga is a low to medium intensity activity. In a 30-minute session, you can burn about 150 calories. Yoga has become quite popular, and lots of studios now offer the activity for dogs.

To make sure your dog is suited for the activity, you will have to get a behavioral trainer. Your dog should be able to listen to you and should interact well with other people and dogs. While yoga can be intensive for human beings, it may not be tiresome for dogs. This is why many people let their dogs engage in other workouts as they complete their yoga sessions.

Conclusion

Dogs are great workout partners. You can take them for walks and runs on a daily basis, and you can even take them on your favorite hiking trail. If you enjoy biking, you should consider taking your dog for the ride. Taking frisbee races with your dog can also be a great workout, and this can also be done with a tennis ball. If your dog is well behaved, you can take him to the dog yoga studio.

However, you should note that dog yoga isn’t intensive and won’t work your dog effectively. Make sure you always purchase the right leashes for the activities. A great leash for walking your dog may be extremely unsuitable for biking.

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