General Purpose Exercise to Help Tackle Obesity – Dog Walking
Dog Walking is a great weight loss exercise that can help tackle obesity due to it giving balanced non impact exercise and helping from an inspirational / pleasurestand point. Nothing is betterthan passing time outdoors with man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Whilst out with the dog you can also meet many interesting people and have the dog to talk to them about.
Dog Walking is work our that anybody can do. What’s superb about it is that you can do it sole or with someone. If you do not have a friend, the dog supplies great company. It’s simple to do, and needs no special equipment, apart from a dog, a lead and comfy shoes. It also costs nothing, in fact you can make money out of it. In addition it can be done anywhere, anytime, even in London dog walking is well liked.
Dog walking has many benefits. It uses calories, it helps with weight control. An hour or so of dog walking ( that is you with the dog!) will burn between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your mass. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not strain your limbs, unlike running, 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 builds the muscles that shield the knee.
Since dog walking is weight-bearing it also helps builds the muscles that protect the hips. At the same time it builds bones therefore reducing the likelihood of bone splintering due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the probability of getting low back pain.
The increased effort needed for dog walking helps the heart to pump more strongly. This helps reduce blood pressure with the resultant 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 increases endorphin levels which helps reduce pain, decreases serum cortisol levels which helps relieve stress (as does having animals around, so a double benefit), and may also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So how do I {kick off with} start dog walking.
Pretty easy. 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. You should gradually increase the amount you walk. A good objective 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. Do not forget that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same behaviours, require to walk over 5 miles a day. Many have the stamina for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your health, you can build up from low levels. Only one issue, No dog. Not a problem, ask around, there are many people who are time starved and don’t have ~ enough time for walking their dog. Increasingly, during this credit crunch period, dogs are being handed into pet 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.
How fast for your dog walking will depend on you and your dog. Start slowly. A medium pace, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. You should be breathing faster and feel your heart rate going up but still be able talk comfortably. You need to ensure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for the dog and it is more tiring for you.
Please note, 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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