First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘walking’

Dog Walking is work our that almost anyone can do. What’s superb about it is that you can do it sole or with someone. If you do not have somebody, the dog supplies great company. It’s simple to do, and needs no special equipment, apart from a dog, a leash 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 common.
Dog walking has many 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 ( 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 legs and ankles, unlike jogging, which can damage your joints and bones.
In fact it truly helps the knees. The action of dog walking stimulates 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 aids builds the muscles that shield the hips. At the same time it strengthens bones therefore reducing the probability of fracture due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the chance for getting low back pain.
The increased effort needed for dog walking helps the heart to pump more strongly. This aids blood pressure reduction 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 decrease 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 have a history of flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not try to do too much at the very beginning. You should gradually increase the amount you walk. A great goal is 10,000 steps per day, which is approximately 5 miles. Don’t worry it is not that far, remember, most individuals 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, need to walk over 5 miles a day. Many have the stamina for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your fitness, you can build up 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 pet charities, so either volunteer to become a dog walker or why not re-house a dog.
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 cautiously. A medium pace, 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 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.
Please note, it’s important to keep up your dog walking routine, for both you and the dog! Enjoy it.