Staying healthy, active and fit can become tedious, especially if you don’t have a workout partner to encourage you. But what if your dog could be your exercise buddy?
Involving your dog in your workout can be a huge motivation, as well as keeping your dog fit and healthy too!
Here are some of our favorite creative ideas to stay fit with your dog.
Walk The Dog
If you aren’t already walking your dog, it should be the first step you take. It’s also a really good starting point if you’re new to fitness and working out. You can start slow. Make sure your dog has a good quality harness and leash, and start out just by taking them around the block.
If you’re not new to fitness but want to add some extra cardiovascular work to your day, this is a good idea. Just be aware that if you’re running full-tilt, your dog could stop at any time if they catch a scent.
Be careful and don’t go too fast, in order to avoid injury to both you and your pup.
Watersports
If your dog loves the water, why not try some water sports to keep you both fit? Just swimming laps could work well if you want to get some muscle-training and cardio work in.
If you’re more into adventure sports than swimming laps at the gym or local swimming pool, there are many activities that are suitable for dogs as well as humans when it comes to watersports.
Paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and even surfing are sports that you can do with your dog. You’ll get a great workout and have your best buddy right there with you to share in the fun.
Frisbee
Nothing gets a dog excited like a Frisbee flying through the air. If you’re looking for a simple way to get out in the fresh air and add a bit more calorie-burning to your day, Frisbee could be it.
It might seem like your dog would end up doing all the work, but if you want a more hardcore workout you could try:
Frisbee circuits:
Throw the Frisbee for your dog and while waiting for him to bring it back, do some quick exercises, for example:
- As many pushups as you can
- Bodyweight squats
- Burpees
Frisbee sprints:
Throw the Frisbee and see if you can race your dog to it. A few rounds of this will work up quite a sweat.
Agility Training
An agility class would get your dog’s blood pumping and have you running right alongside him while he’s learning. This is a great way to improve your fitness and teach your dog something too!
If you want something to work towards, train yourself and your pooch for an event like Tough Mudder. Unfortunately dogs aren’t allowed on the course, but we can play pretend, am I right?
Bodyweight Dog Gym
If you prefer bodyweight exercises, you can make it more challenging by adding your dog’s body weight too! Giving your dog some food to help build muscles will definitely give him a boost before his weight exercises.
It might be harder if you have a large dog and not so challenging if you have a small one. But try picking your dog up and squatting or lunging while holding them, or doing a “tug-of-war” bicep curl.
Getting your dog involved in your exercise together with a proper diet will not only help it be more motivated. It can also improve your dogs’ fitness level and help it build muscle, stay at a healthy weight, and improve their immune system. Furthermore, having regular exercise and a proper diet can help improve your dogs’ appetite without gas build up in its digestive system.
Get started today! You won’t regret exercising with your furry friend.
Mike Powell loves dogs, adventures, and writing. Follow Mike and his adventures on his blog.
[Featured Image Credit: Matthew Henry from Burst]
