5 Ways to Include Your Dog in Your Workouts : Being a fitness enthusiast and a dog lover simultaneously is not very easy. You always feel like you cannot include your dog in your exercise routines.
However, the good news is that we have come up with some ways to include your dog in your workouts. It helps your dog to be healthier and calculator tool helps to calculate your dog’s due date accurately. Now, your pooch would not have to get lonely when you plan to exercise. Also, you do not have to give up your new year’s resolutions because working out will be fun.
Benefits of Exercising with Your Dog
The most natural exercise you and your dog can do together is walking. Walking does not require a vet’s approval; all you need is you and your dog.
For humans, walking has many proven benefits, some include:
- Better muscular strength
- Stress reduction
- Memory improvement
- Better sleep quality
- Improved circulation
- An advantage that not everyone gets to experience is the loss of weight.
Some benefits people that include their dogs in workouts have in common is a sense of better motivation and commitment. Also, one dog owner found a new sense of comfort in trying new things because of the calming effect of their animal’s presence.
For the dog, it gets both physical and mental exhaustion during these exercises. They have to use their brains properly, which will, in turn, make them tired. So, even high energy dogs that can run for miles without getting exhausted will have to rest after workouts.
How to Start Including Your Dog in Your Workouts
When planning to include your dog in any workout, the first step is to visit your vet for a check-up to confirm your dog’s physical state. After this, you can start with walks. The time you and your pooch spend walking will depend entirely on its health state. You may need some assistance with shopping online for dog diapers, belly bands, and other accessories that may help crutch your dog for some light workout sessions if the dogs health is an issue.
With a more healthy dog, you can commit to approximately thirty minutes of endurance walks. Meanwhile, if you and your dog can benefit from shorter treks, you should both spend more time taking shorter hikes more frequently.
If you want a change of pace and decide it is time to start jogging, then you slowly increase the distance to get them adequately used to exercise. You need to help your dog get ready, just like you build yourself slowly but steadily.
Some important things to note when taking your dog out for an exercise are:
- Check the weather to be sure it is safe for your canine—avoid extreme temperatures
- Take water with you every time
- Use a harness when putting your dog on a leash in place of a collar, so that you do not pull its neck.
- The leash you use for your dog should be sturdy and non-retractable so that you can have more control
- Ensure that your dog has medication against fleas and ticks
- You can also learn how to remove ticks properly, even if your dog is on medication.
5 Ways to Include Your Dog in Your Workouts
Before you start working out with your dog, you should look for something that works for both of you. All dogs are different, so you have to factor that in your decision.
Without further ado, let’s go into some ways you can include your dog in your workouts. Note that for some of the exercises you will need:
- A leash
- A shallow cup or Collapsible bowl
- A dog toy you can throw
- Treats
Doga
If you haven’t heard of dog yoga or Doga, it is a form of yoga for dogs. It helps even hyperactive canines and humans to feel calmer. During the session, you and your dog have a lot of eye contact, which helps in communication.
Here, the human includes their dog in traditional yoga poses. Some examples are:
- When performing a warrior two pose, you can balance your dog on your leg.
- During a side bend, you can hold your dog as a weight.
Warm-Up Jogs
To help improve circulation, you can include your hound in your jogs. It is better to let your dog defecate and play for a bit before you start so that they will be focused. Try using a familiar route often, but switch it up from time to time for more challenge.
Having your dog in a leash will regulate your speed and guide it on the route. If you want more challenge, increase the pace for an allotted time or distance.
Treat Workouts
Any dog owner knows that dogs enjoy rewards just like humans. So, a way to make your dog enjoy workouts is by including gifts. The best treats for these exercises are its favorite ones. Here are some activities you can do with rewards.
- Reverse Lunge with Torso Twist
Here you break your dog’s favorite treat into small portions and let it perceive it. Afterward, you perform the reverse lunge and torso twist and reward your dog for every rep.
- Russian Twists
Prepare yourself in a Russian twist position and have some treats in your hand. Let your dog smell your hand first then twist side to side for each rep. After every rep, reward your dog.
Catch Workouts
Dogs love playing catch. Catch workouts are the perfect exercises for you and your dog because both of you are actively involved. Here the equipment is a bone, a disc, or anything it can catch and return to you. While you can be creative with your workout, here are some examples of catch routines.
- Squats
Prepare for a regular squat while holding your dog’s toy. When you start standing up from each rep, jump and throw the toy behind you, then when your dog returns, you begin the next rep.
- Burpees
Throw the toy as far as you can and do as many burpees as possible before your dog returns. For every rep, try to do more burpees by aiming for a longer distance.
- Stretches
Throw the toy, do a stretch on a muscle group, and hold it until your dog returns. Then proceed to another muscle group.
Cool Downs
Cooldowns can just be you and your dog fast walking back home. It doesn’t have to be anything serious.
We hope you found this list helpful. You should note four essential things in conclusion:
- Before you include your dog in your workouts, consult with your vet first.
- You will need more rest time with brachycephalic dogs.
- Your dog is highly trainable and may be unwilling to cooperate at first, but try having a little patience.
- You can be creative with your routine as long as you find something you and your canine can do together.
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5 Ways to Include Your Dog in Your Workouts
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