Exercise for you and your dog!

Estimated reading time 5 minutes

The Importance of exercise!

Are you having trouble getting motivated to hop on that treadmill or go for a long walk around the neighbourhood for your daily exercise?

Then you might want to consider an alternate form of exercise: walking dogs for exercise. Dogs are the best personal trainers and motivational friends around! They are always ready to go, tirelessly hard-working, and what could be a better motivator than that sad face when they want to go for a walk?

How Many Calories Can You Burn Dog Walking?

While it ultimately depends on the pace and general energy of the dog, a person of average weight can burn around 205 calories per hour of walking a dog, including toilet and sniffing breaks. However, if the dog likes to walk fast and pull their lead, dog walkers burn more calories trying to keep up with them and pulling back on their lead trying to keep them in line.

While 205 calories may sound like a negligible amount, it adds up over time. If you walk a dog for an hour each day of the week, you have burned 1,435 calories during that time you could have spent sitting behind a desk and not burning anything. It only takes 3,500 burned calories to lose one pound, so after a week, dog walkers are nearly halfway there.

However, it is also worth noting that heavier people will be burning more calories and there are ways to increase the calories burned such as walking uphill or moving at a faster pace. Unfortunately, you have to make sure that this pace and the length of the walk are also appropriate for the breed of dog. Active breeds like Labradors, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers will always be up for long, fast walks until they get to an advanced age.

However, less active breeds like Pugs with their squished noses that makes it harder to breathe, Basset Hounds and Dachshunds with their short legs, and dogs with a lazy temperament will not want to go for overly long or fast walks. They will get tired eventually, start to slow down, and even whine when they want to go home. With these dogs, it is best to do shorter walks at more intervals instead of one long walk per day.

Health Benefits of Dog Walking Dogs for Exercise

Even if you aren’t looking to lose a few pounds walking dogs, both you and the dog will reap the benefits of daily walks. Dog owners often tend to overlook a few extra pounds that their dog has put on because who doesn’t love a squishy tummy on your pet? However, even a couple extra pounds can take a few years off a dog’s already short life. Yet, dog walks don’t just promote a healthier life for both parties; they can help your dog work through some of their bad habits well.

For You:

• Breast cancer risk is reduced by 75%
• Heart disease risk decreased by 49%
• Diabetes risk can be lowered by 35%
• Colon cancer risk decreased by 22%

For Dogs:

• Relive constipation and maintain healthy digestive systems
• Reduce destructive behaviour from boredom or excess energy
• Decrease attention-seeking behaviour like whining and barking
• Helps with physical and mental well-being from being stimulated

Planning a Successful Walking Schedule

For those already balancing a regular desk job, squeezing in time for a little healthy dog walking can be hard. After all, if we had the time to do long, leisurely dog walks for a living, we would probably be doing them.

However, while an hour of dog walking is great exercise, it doesn’t need to be done all at once. For those already balancing a regular desk job, squeezing in time for a little healthy dog walking can be hard. After all, if we had the time to do long, leisurely dog walks for a living, we would probably be doing them. However, while an hour of dog walking is great exercise, it doesn’t need to be done all at once.

When starting a dog walking as a hobby, it is best to set a schedule for yourself. Dogs crave routines, and so do people. Nothing is a better motivator than realizing how sad that dog will be when you don’t show up to walk them. The treadmill doesn’t care if you show up, but with a dog, you essentially ruin their day.

Happy Pooch Happy life, also keep in mind once you get into a pattern it will become second nature and you will feel so much better in yourselves as well and healthier.

Who I am?

My name is Corey and I am one of the Aesthetic Practitioners here at RT Aesthetics. I own 2 dogs and love my morning and evening walk with my terrible two, it not only stimulating for them it has helped me, especially in the morning as it makes me feel ready for the day and also helps drastically not just for mine and the dog’s health but all our mental health and help form strong bond me and my dog’s.