Many people not only take the step of adopting a pet, such as a dog for emotional investment but also as a reason to get out more. The responsibility you have as an owner is, of course, to love and care for them but not just in the emotional sense, you have to make sure that their physical needs are met too. Ensuring they get plenty of exercise is incredibly beneficial to their health, but it can also translate into boosting your own personal fitness regime.
Break up resistance training with running
If you’re planning on taking your dog around the park for a bit of resistance training, you might be worried about how their patience with fare while you do 10 reps of push-ups. One of the best ways to make this enjoyable for your pet is to break up the exercise. For example, breaking up core-strength exercises with walking and running will help to ensure that your pet doesn’t get bored while you work on your physical strength. Here are some great workouts to do with your dog right next to you before a brisk run:
- Ab crunches (some have even recommended this position for throwing a ball in between reps.)
- Planking
- Reverse-lunges
- Burpees
- Mountain-climbers
- Yoga-headstand (if you can do one!)
Keep your dog at a healthy weight
If you want to consider involving your dog with your exercise routine, you will need to ensure that your dog is also healthy. Feeding them a balanced diet will help to ensure that they are full of energy and ready to join in with you. Finding a natural dog food that’s full of plant-based fiber as well as meat will give them the source of balance that you would look for in your own diet. Brands, such as Lucy Pet that specialize in balanced, healthy dog food will help you to find something that will benefit their immunity and gut health.
Go to the beach!
Running and building strength with your dog is great to do wherever you can. However, swimming is also incredibly beneficial for both you and your dog. You will help to build up the same muscle strength, but without taking so much of a toll on your joints. Going to the beach will provide you with a wide variety of activities, which will enable you to switch your exercise routine up a bit with your pet. You can, of course, combine running with fetching, but you can also use the ocean to go for a swim. Just be mindful that this combination can be quite tiring for your pet – so pay close attention to any signs of tiredness when you’re out in the water.
Exercising with your dog can be brilliant for both mind and soul. Creating a bond with your pet by spending quality time in the outdoors can be perfect for taking your mind off daily tasks and demands. Getting outside and exercising your dog is a duty that cannot and should not be missed.
