Getting your dog involved with your exercising and healthy living can be a rewarding experience. It can bring you and your pet closer together, and it may end up being something you make a daily part of your life. Here are some of the best ways that you can exercise with your dog and keep you both healthy and happy.
1. Hiking
This is the most obvious one, but you don’t want to overlook it as you try to find ways to get your dog and yourself active at the same time. Hiking with your dog is pretty simple, so long as you have a good dog harness. You don’t want your dog running off on its own after all. Just be sure to bring plenty of water for both of you.
If you are hiking near a stream or some other water source, then your dog can get water from there, but be sure to keep your pet hydrated and consider bringing some water along for the dog to use.
2. Walking in the Park
Taking your dog to the park can be a great way to meet other dogs and dog lovers. Once again, you will want to keep your dog on a leash to ensure it doesn’t run off or get into trouble. This can be as relaxing or as vigorous an experience as you like, as there are usually walking and running trails in the park.
When you get tired, just sitting on the cool grass in the shade can be a wonderful experience, and many parks have ponds and other water sources for your dog to rehydrate from. You may even want to take some food for a picnic and eat lunch with your dog at the park.
3. Playing Catch
Your dog probably loves to run after whatever you throw for it and bring it back to you. You can use a Frisbee, ball, a stick or a toy, and this can be a great exercise for both of you. Running around with your dog, chasing after it, and tossing its stick or whatever else for it to chase after can get the blood pumping and the muscles working.
4. Playing Tug-of-War
If you have a tough piece of rope, you can play tug-of-war with your dog. This helps to strengthen its teeth and gives you some exertion as well. Your dog loves to grab things in its mouth and pull them everywhere it goes, so why not take advantage of that characteristic and turn it into a fun exercise for the both of you?
5. Going up and down Stairs
This is a great indoor activity to do, and we suggest trying it when the weather is unpleasant or you just can’t take your dog outside for some reason. Start slow, but keep going until you feel you and your dog have gotten a suitable workout.
6. Resistance Walking
Do you know how tough it is to walk in deep snow or in water that is up to your knees? Continuously walking in these kinds of environments is a great way to build muscle and give yourself and your dog a workout.
Most people will do resistance walking like this at the beach, but you can also do it in tall grass, heavy snow and even in sand. It takes more effort to walk in these conditions, which means you are building up muscle tissue and strengthening yourself more with this kind of walking.
7. Doing Yoga
Yoga is a relaxing and invigorating form of exercise that you can do with your dog. It’s likely that your dog won’t copy every move you make, but it can play along and have fun with you while you are doing your exercises.
If your dog sees you stretching and working out, then it may try to join in and at least attempt to be active at the same time as you.
8. Four-Way Running
If you are doing exercises in a small area, you may have some trouble getting your dog involved. Your dog is more likely to want to run all over the place than to stay right by you, so you can add some treats into the mix to get its attention. Try four-way running, which basically means running in a square.
As you run, keep a treat in your hands. After you do something like 10 squares, you can give your dog a treat. This will keep your dog interested in what you are doing and encourage it to run around you as you work out.
9. Biking
You might be surprised at how easily your dog can keep up with your bike riding. Of course, you want to keep pace with your dog and not get too far ahead. Take breaks regularly and choose a trail that your dog will be able to run alongside you on, but you can have a great time and make your dog your partner with this exercise.
10. Taking an Agility Class
With some looking, you may be able to find a agility class that you and your dog can join. This typically involves a course for your dog to run, as it jumps hurdles and moves around obstacles, all while you run alongside on a flat course and offer encouragement and motivation.
You can do this as a group or individually, and it can be a great way to change things up from the more common exercises.
These are just some ways that you can have fun with your dog while you both get exercise, and you may find some others that appeal to you as well. The important things is that you are both living healthy and having a good time.
For more information, you can visit pupjunkies.com – a site for happy, healthy, and adventurous dogs.