5 Ways to burn extra calories when walking your dog
Much like their humans, dogs need physical activity to stay healthy. Going on a walk is just one of the ways to achieve this. Regular walks are a great way to maintain your current fitness, but if you’re looking to take it to the next level, you may have to try modifying how you walk your furry friend. Explore these five ways you and your dog can walk your way towards better fitness.
1) Increase the duration of the walk. If you burn calories during your average dog walk (and you do), then the easiest way to burn more is to simply walk more! Add a little extra time into your schedule for dog walking if you can. The only downfall of this solution is that you might not be able to do it consistently if you’re very busy. Get around this by taking longer walks on the weekends. Or, opt to wake up a little earlier to get those extra steps in, and you’ll be able to get on with the rest of your day normally.
2) Adopt a faster pace. If you don’t have the time to extend your walks with Fido, try walking faster. This will help increase your heart rate, which in turn helps to burn extra calories. For dogs with extra energy, try jogging. This may require a little experimentation in terms of duration and speed, but once you find a good balance for both you and your dog, it could become a major part of your workout routine.
3) Change the terrain. When you take your dog on a walk, do you usually just make a lap around the neighborhood, visiting all the places he or she enjoys? If so, consider switching things up a bit by walking along a different route. Take your dog to a local park, where you can hike along the trail, or head to the nearest dog beach for some sand and surf. The change in terrain will not only be fun for your pup, it will also give you an added workout, thanks to the extra effort it takes to walk on the shifting sand or the steepness of the trail.
4) Use weights. Not conveniently located next to a beach or hiking trail? Achieve a similar effect by carrying exercise weights while walking your dog. You can even go so far as to do a little light lifting with your arms, provided you have access to the right weights.
5) Incorporate different moves. No trails? No weights? You can still try bodyweight exercises as you move along. Incorporate lunges, squats, stretches, high steps, and arm movements as you and your dog go along. You might feel a little silly doing this at first, but the rewards will be well worth it.
4 Calorie-Burning Exercises for You and Your Dog [Petful]
Burn Calories, Walk Your Dog and Your Dogs [Popsugar]