Dog Walking a Wonderful All Round Exercise
Dog Walking is a great weight loss work out due to it giving balanced non impact exercise and helping from an inspirational / pleasure point of view. Nothing is betterthan passing 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 an exercise that anybody can do. What’s great about it is that you can do it single-handily or with a friend. If you do not have someone, the dog provides great company. It’s pretty easy to do, and needs nothing, apart from a dog, a leash 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 well liked.
Dog walking has many benefits. It burns calories, it helps with weight control. One hour of dog walking (you as well) will burn between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not stress your limbs, unlike jogging, which can injure your joints and bones.
In fact it actually helps the knees. The action of dog walking encourages cartilage growth and the flow of synovial fluid inside the knee. It also strengthens the muscles that protect the knee.
Because dog walking is weight-bearing it also helps builds the muscles that shield the hips. In addition it builds bones therefore minimising the likelihood of fracture due to osteoporosis. By building the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the probability of getting low back pain.
The raised effort required for dog walking helps the heart to pump more efficiently. This aids blood pressure reduction with the subsequent 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.
Studies show that exercise such as dog walking raises endorphin levels which helps reduce pain, decreases serum cortisol levels which helps relieve anxiety (as does having animals around, so an additional), and may also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So how do I {kick off with} start dog walking.
Pretty simple. Start with a good pair of walking shoes. If you suffer from flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not overdo it at the very beginning. Build up gradually increasing the amount you walk. A great 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 routine day. Please note that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same characteristics, need to walk over 5 miles a day. Most have the strength for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your fitness, you can build up from low levels. Only one issue, I don’t have a dog. Not a problem, ask around, there are many individuals who do not have ~ enough time for walking their dog. Increasingly, during this credit crunch period, dogs are being handed into dog charities, so either volunteer for dog walking or why not take a dog home with you.
Strapped for cash, why not help 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 moderate pace, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. A good rule of thumb is that you should be breathing faster and feel your heart rate increasing but still be able to carry on a conversation. You need to ensure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for the dog and it is more tiring for you.
Remember, it’s crucial 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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Tags: dog walking, Exercise, weight loss