Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

I have always struggled to keep my weight under control. Being over-weight affected my whole life, I was unable to wear the clothes I wanted to and I often felt guilty after eating certain foods. I was adamant that if only I could lose a couple of stones my confidence would increase and that I would ultimately be a lot happier.

I guess that I had problems with my weight mainly due to comfort eating – I was quite a depressive person you see due to the fact that I had a stuttering speech impediment.

One day I was talking to a neighbour who was not only very nice but also quite thin. She was the picture of good health and rather fit; I asked her how she managed to keep so fit.

This neighbour who is called Gillian seemed quite taken aback and even flattered by my question and went quite coy. She stated that at one point in her life, she had also had a weight problem and had not been happy about it. What she was about to say was quite a shock to me, however would eventually change my life.

She went on to say that wherever she went to at this stage of her life, she would travel to by car.She then decided to purchase a dog and started to take her on quite a few walks each day. Previously, Gillian had seen exercise as a hassle and very time consuming but on various days she would take her dog on four walks, she enjoyed it that much.

Gillian quickly noticed that not only was she losing weight but that she also felt a lot healthier. It was not long before she was at a weight she was happy with.

I decided to try out Gillian’s methods or weight loss system. Yes I went and bought a dog and am happy to report that it has also worked for me.

I have top say that I am now a much more content guy. This has helped me to have a successful career selling composite doors for a local composite door company. I also have a little part-time role working for a team of business cost cutting.

You can lose weight; you just need to eat healthier and exercise more.

Dog Walking is work our that everyone can do. What’s superb about it is that you can do it by yourself or with a friend. If you do not have anyone, the dog provides great company. It’s pretty easy to do, and needs nothing, apart from a dog, a lead and comfortable shoes. It also costs nothing, in fact you can make money out of it. In addition it can be done just about anywhere, even in London dog walking is well liked.
Dog walking has multiple benefits. It is the key element of dog care. It uses calories, it is a weight loss aid. An hour or so of dog walking (you as well) will use between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your mass. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not strain your legs and ankles, unlike running, which can injure your joints and bones.
In fact it truly helps the knees. The dead of dog walking encourages cartilage growth and the flow of synovial fluid inside the knee. It also strengthens the muscles that protect the knee.
Because dog walking is weight-bearing it also helps strengthens the muscles that protect the hips. At the same time it strengthens bones therefore minimising the likelihood of bone splintering due to osteoporosis. By building the main muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the possibility of getting low back pain.
The raised effort required for dog walking helps the heart to pump more strongly. This helps reduce blood pressure with the subsequent 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.
There is some evidence that exercise such as dog walking raises endorphin levels which helps reduce pain, reduces 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. The first thing is to make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes. If you have a history of flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not try to do too much at the very beginning. Build up gradually increasing the amount you walk. A good target is 10,000 steps per day, which is roughly 5 miles. Don’t worry it is not that far, note, most people already walk about 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day during the course of a normal day. Please note that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same behaviours, require to walk over 5 miles a day. Many have the strength for fifteen or more miles a day.
Depending on your fitness, you can start from low levels. Only one problem, No dog. Not a problem, enquire around, there are many people who do not have ~sufficient time for walking their dog. Increasingly, during this credit crunch period, dogs are being given to into dog charities, so either volunteer to become a dog walker 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 set up a business walking their dog.
How fast for your dog walking will depend on you and your dog. Start slowly. A moderate pace, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. A good rule of thumb is that you should be breathing more rapidly and feel your heart rate going up but still be able to carry on a conversation. You need to make sure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for him and it is more exhausting for you.
Remember, it’s important to keep up your dog walking routine, for both you and the dog! Enjoy it.