\n<\/p>\n
“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote”} }”><\/p>\n
\n Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness and nutrition courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you
\n >”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>sign up for Outside+.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Our dogs are our biggest fans. No one is ever as excited as our pets when seeing us return home after a long day out or a weekend away. They are cheerleaders and motivators and support us even when we don\u2019t do the best job of supporting ourselves. And for that reason, they make incredible partners when it comes to our exercise routines.<\/p>\n
Of course, dogs need their exercise, too, and that goes beyond just taking them out to do their business. We want to keep their minds and bodies active so that they stay healthy and fit \u2014 which mirrors many of the same reasons we make movement a priority. So it only makes sense to take the opportunity to further cement your BFF relationship by incorporating your pet into your workout routine.<\/p>\n
Working out with your dog doesn\u2019t have to just<\/i> be physical activity. \u201cIt can also be a great opportunity for bonding and mental stimulation,\u201d says Elizabeth Dimit, in-store trainer at Dogtopia.<\/p>\n
The obvious plan would be to have Fluffy or Fido join you for a walk or a run, but that\u2019s just the tip of the iceberg. What about having your dog join you on a kayak trip or participate in a yoga class? Talk about a bonding experience you\u2019ll both cherish forever. \u201cThose activities require your dog to maintain focus and utilize their minds,\u201d says Dimit, noting that a dog asked to perform mental tasks can be just as worn out as a dog that took a 6-mile run.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen comparing my clients with dogs to my clients without dogs, almost always my clients with dogs walk more, daily,\u201d says Nikki Gnozzio, CSCS, personal trainer with Junction Bodyworks. The need for the dog to have to walk is a great motivator and support system to get you up and moving and forcing you to get out even when you don\u2019t want to. Trying to incorporate your pet into your workout routine isn\u2019t just about your mutual fitness but using your bond to support and motivate each other the whole way through.<\/p>\n
When starting to incorporate your pet into your workout routine, try getting creative with your four-legged friend. \u201cIf you have a smaller dog or cat, use them as squat weight, hip-bridge weight or any other exercise that calls for 10 pounds (as long as the pet is comfortable and safe while doing so!),\u201d says April Gatlin, ACE, master coach for Stride. \u201cHave fun with it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Some ideas for at-home workouts that you can do with domestic pets besides cats and dogs may be a plank routine with your snake or turtle (keep your body still so they don\u2019t fall off!) or a series of push-ups with your pet beneath you, to make sure you maintain space between you and the ground. Of course, you also can let it roam (safely) around the space and you can try to find it, forcing you to move around and perhaps crawl or bend in tight corners, in what would be much like a game of hide-and-seek (or a true Animal Flow workout).<\/p>\n
While you\u2019re probably initially thinking of dogs as workout partners, they aren\u2019t the only way you can incorporate your pet into your workout routine. It\u2019s also quite possible to use your domestic pet as your accountability partner. \u201cPut your iguana next to you while you do yoga, or try doing lunges with your snake,\u201d Gatlin says. \u201cMy turtle always comes to the edge of his tank and sticks his head out of his shell when it\u2019s time for an at-home workout.\u201d Be creative and use even the little pets as a fun way to get motivated and keep yourself accountable.<\/p>\n
There are so many mental and physical benefits to working out with a partner: Partners keep you accountable and make sure you show up. They keep you moving when you want to quit. They know when to push you when you didn\u2019t think you could push harder or when to remind you it\u2019s time for a break (you know, to snuggle). \u201cAll the physical benefits through movement release endorphins, which then add to the mental benefits of all things exercise,\u201d Gatlin says.<\/p>\n
And at the end of the day, our four-legged friends bring us joy, which is a crucial mental health benefit.<\/p>\n
Having a cute dog to play with is a great distraction from feeling the burn. However, it\u2019s not always<\/i> the best way to go. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t recommend having a pet close by for heavy weighted exercises, but a pet can be a great tool for many bodyweight movements,\u201d Gnozzio says.<\/p>\n
Any active daily movement (like walking, jogging or dancing) with your dog is a great step toward building cardiovascular strength and living a healthy lifestyle for both you and your pet, but make sure it doesn\u2019t distract you from scheduling the strength-building activities that your dog can\u2019t join you for.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might cheat yourself by prioritizing your dog\u2019s daily walk or run, which you absolutely should prioritize, but try to make a point to add some push-ups, lunges, squats or crunches right before or after,\u201d says Katelyn DiGiorgio, ACE, vice president of training and technique for Pure Barre.<\/p>\n
Because pet safety is of the utmost concern when planning to incorporate your pet into your workout routine, keep the following in mind when establishing your new shared activities:<\/p>\n
Think of it like training for a marathon \u2014 you wouldn\u2019t just go out and run without any endurance training. \u201cJust like humans, dogs need time to build up to more and more activity, so start small and see how your dog does,\u201d Dimit advises.<\/p>\n
Age and being overweight also can be a risk factor in how long and intense workouts can be for your dog, so be sure to allow for as many breaks as it needs along the way.<\/p>\n
Glance at that weather app before heading out to exercise with your pet, and adjust your plans accordingly (possibly to earlier, cooler hours) because animals can easily overheat during periods of strenuous exercise.<\/p>\n
This is especially true for brachycephalic breeds (for example, English bulldog, pug, etc.). \u201cThey have conformational changes that make it difficult to regulate body temperature,\u201d says Dr. Casey Robinson, general practice veterinarian and area medical director at IndeVets. However, any breed can succumb to heat exhaustion. \u201cConsequences to heat exhaustion can be dire and life threatening, so ensuring that your pet can maintain a comfortable body temperature during exercise is quite important,\u201d Robinson notes.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to check the temperature because despite being quite thick and resilient, pets\u2019 paw pads are not immune to extreme temperature fluctuations and can succumb to paw pad burns quite easily. While it may only be 80 degrees out, that can mean 100 degrees on the asphalt. \u201cA good rule of thumb is that if the concrete (or other flooring material) is too hot to hold your hand against, it is too hot for your pet\u2019s paws,\u201d Robinson says.<\/p>\n
You know it\u2019s important for you to stay hydrated while exercising, and the same is true when working out with your pet. Maintaining access to water is crucial to keeping your pet comfortable during periods of activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cRapid water loss can lead to detrimental hydration deficits, heat exhaustion and overall consequences to their overall health \u2014 remember, a hydrated pet is a happy pet,\u201d Robinson says.<\/p>\n
We want to make sure that our pets help us to motivate and push ourselves, but we don\u2019t want to push them too far, either \u2014 and that may mean not getting to set a new personal record when we\u2019re out with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though it may force you to change your planned exercise regimen, if your pet is showing signs of exhaustion or distress, it is best to discontinue the strenuous activity and tend to your pet\u2019s immediate needs,\u201d Robinson advises. Give your pet a rest and a bit of water, and then you can always continue on with your workout on your own while your pet takes a nap.<\/p>\n
Finding ways to incorporate your pet into your workout routine is not only good exercise for you and for your pet, but it\u2019ll also make exercise a lot more fun for both of you!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n