Dog Walking a Superb All Round Exercise to Help Your Heart

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Monday, August 3rd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Dog Walking is a great weight loss work out that can help tackle obesity due to it giving steady non impact exercise and helping from an inspirational / happinessstand point. Nothing is betterthan spending time outdoors with man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Whilst out with the dog you can also meet many new people and have something to talk to them about.
Dog Walking is work our that everyone can do. What’s superb about it is that you can do it alone or with someone. If you do not have somebody, the dog provides great company. It’s pretty easy to do, and needs nothing, apart from a dog, a lead and relaxing shoes. It is also free, in fact you can make money out of it. In addition it can be done just about anywhere, even in London dog walking is common.
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 use between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your mass. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not pressure your limbs, unlike jogging, which can damage 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 within the knee. It also builds the muscles that shield the knee.
Since dog walking is weight-bearing it also helps strengthens the muscles that shield the hips. In addition it builds bones therefore minimising the possibility of bone splintering due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the possibility of getting low back pain.
The increased exertion required for dog walking helps the heart to pump more efficiently. 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.
There is some evidence that exercise such as dog walking increases endorphin levels which helps relieve pain, reduces serum cortisol levels which helps relieve anxiety (as does having animals around, so an additional), and may also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So how do I {kick off with} start dog walking.
Pretty simple. Start with a good pair of walking shoes. If you suffer from 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, need to walk over 5 miles a day. Most have the strength for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your health, you can start from low levels. Only one issue, I don’t have a dog. Not a problem, enquire around, there are many people who are time starved and don’t have ~ enough time for walking their dog. More and more, during these economical times, 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 rate, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. You should be breathing more rapidly and feel your heart rate increasing but still be able talk comfortably. You need to make sure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for him 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!