More people desire to be fitter nowadays. They want to fit in their clothes from their graduation time or marriage ceremony. It’s a great motivation to start the journey and take the plunge. But what about continuity and consistency? Can they keep up the same energy and positivity throughout the journey?
Many people suggest that if they have a partner at the time of workout, they can keep it going. That partner might help them to push forward every day.
You can choose any person you want from your life but we are recommending someone trustworthy, loyal, and will always push you to get your lazy self out for a workout.
Dogs. Yes, you are reading it right. Ask yourself – can you refuse them when they bring their leash in their mouth with those large gloomy eyes, with bent ears and adorable faces asking you for a walk? No. You can’t.
The fact is, getting out is a treat for dogs and it’s good for you as well, since you are more likely hooked to your electronic devices. You and your dog can bond more strongly with the time which will keep both of your mental health in check.
It is highly recommended that you should consult your veterinarian doctor before doing any of the following activities to make sure your dog is fit for such activities.
Here we will discuss 9 fun activities that will bond you with your companion while increasing both your fitness levels.
1. Fetch
Getting out and throwing the stick out in the open is a great exercise for your dog. This will make them more happier and energetic. If your dog is not good at retrieving, you can always teach them how to do that.
A word of caution though, if they don’t want to bring the stick or ball back to you, you can always go and bring it back yourself. It will surely help your heart to pump more blood.
2. Swimming
Before putting your dog in the pool, you must know two things about them. Do they like water? Can they swim in the water? Many dogs just hate the water and people have to drag to bathe them.
But, if your dog loves water, this should be a fun and nice sport for you. You can always put a pet safety vest around them to make sure that they don’t drown.
Teach them how to enter and exit from the pool, and they will drag you to the pool to spend some healthy time.
3. Hiking
Hiking can be another fun activity that you can do to bond with your loyal friend. All you need to do is pack some water, a clean bowl, and some snacks in your backpack and you are good to go on a hike.
You need to take short and frequent breaks to keep yourselves hydrated. It’s advisable to keep your dog on a leash if you don’t know the terrain or there might even be other dogs.
Make sure to check your dog’s paws at regular intervals. They might get injured if the terrain is not smooth, the surface is hot, or from pebbles on the track.
At the end of the day, relax and rejuvenate with your furry friend. One way to do that is by using red light therapy to relieve pain, inflammation, or help injuries heal if present.
4. Exploring the Neighborhood
Some breeds of dogs can’t walk for a longer time like trekking. This might affect them severely. Mainly flat-faced breeds like Pugs, Bulldogs, or Boston Terriers are among those. They have some breathing challenges that don’t allow them to go for such excruciating exercises.
But that does keep them for a nice and quiet stroll with you at night in your locality. Walking is as beneficial for them as it is for you. This will keep blood pressure in check and helps maintain a healthy heart for both of you.
5. Teach Your Dog a Trick
A trick can be any special activity. It can be sitting on a chair, bringing a remote from the table, fetching the ball, or carrying a small bag. Training your dog will make them more disciplined and proactive. You can harness the resources on the internet to learn how to teach your dog a trick.
You have to be innovative while teaching your dog a trick. A classic suggestion is to reward your dog after every successful step of the trick. This way they will learn faster just to get the treat.
6. Agility Course
If your loyal friend is playful, agile, and active most of the time, you should consider training them in the agility course. Training in an agility course will make you and your dog fitter when you run through the course.
The course contains various setups for different types of exercises. In the course, the dog has to move through tunnels, jump through rings, weave through the weave poles, and run up the seesaw. Not only the dogs, but you have to run side by side along with them as well.
Running an agility course for your pet dog is similar to doing Crossfit for you.
7. Yoga
Many dogs feel great pleasure in participating in yoga with their owners. Even pet lovers love to share their yoga time with their pets. To be in sync, the owner teaches the dog some stretches.
Some owners even ask for assistance while doing stretches from their pets. Owners make them stand on themselves which helps them in absence of an external tutor. Yoga gurus recommend that a dog standing on you can help you stretch better.
8. Running
Running is a potential exercise that is beneficial for both you and your dog.
If you can teach your dog to run at a very little age, you can have a great running companion for the years to come.
But before you teach them running, you should consult your veterinarian doctor first. Puppies of giant breeds like Mastiffs, Great Danes, and Labrador Retrievers cannot cope up with running until they have a solid bone structure. Pushing them can be dangerous for their lives later.
Once they know how to run with you, there’s no going back.
9. Stair Climbing
If you are living in a crowded city and there is not much space around you, even if your local park is not that close to you, you can consider climbing the stairs of your building with your workout partner.
Stair climbing is proved to be a great exercise for an animal and a human in the same sense as it burns calories easily.
Summary
Whatever activity you choose make sure that both you and your pet dog can enjoy it. The activity should not be heavy or hardcore for either of you. You are just spending quality time with your pet as you would with your children or friends.
