New Year, New You?
Everyone always sets the goal of being more active and loosing that holiday weight at the new year right? Lots of people higher a fitness trainer, or a dietitian but sometimes your best trainer is already living in your home! That’s right, your dog. Sometimes a simple hour long walk is enough to jump start the new year to bigger and better things. The best part is you are getting exercise and so is your dog! Some Great activates to be active with your dog include.
- Walking or Running
- Hiking
- Dog agility
- Biking with your dog / bikejoring
- Skiing with your dog / skijoring
- Stand-up Paddle Boarding
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- Dog Agility is a great work out for both the dog and handler running side by side as a team strengthens your bond and also keeps each other healthy (pictured is Izak you can follow him on Instagram @izak_the_aussie )
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- running around in the snow is a great way to have fun and stay active
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- hiking with friends is a great way to stay motivated threw out the year and reach your goals
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- Frisbee is always a great game to play
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- bikejoring is a great work out for both you and your dog
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- stand up paddle boarding is a great whole body work out balance and core strenght is what will get you threw this fun work out your pup will have to balance as well keeping them busy and engaging their muscles and minds
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- swimming is a great low impact way for both dog and human to stay active
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- don’t take your self to serious remember to have fun!
With any new goal you set you need to make a plan and figure out what exactly you want to do. If you want to stick to the basics or adventure into new territory, creating a plan will help you reach your goals.
Bring a Friend! Having a friend who has a dog and has the same kind of goals in mind will help motivate you and keep your goals. You will also motivated your friend!
Please remember to take it easy. If you are just starting out go slow your not in a rush you have all year to reach your goals. Things take time and getting injured or pushing your dog to fast and hard may result in injury and set you back. (Remember to always consult your vet or Dr. before starting any strenuous exercise.)
Be realistic, if you have a small dog or older dog please think about it can this dog really climb that mountain or can he/she pull me on skis threw the snow? Most of the time its a no. So please think about your dog and even your self and set realistic goals so you both can achieve them and not fail and get frustrated.
Celebrate your goals big or small. Always take time to celebrate your goals no matter how small, a new toy or new shoes or clothes are a great way to celebrate small mile stones.