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Dogs are called ‘man’s best friend’ for a reason – they are always willing to listen and comfort us, are always happy to see us, and provide us with constant companionship. But they also offer something that isn’t as widely publicized – they help keep us healthy.
Dogs of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages need exercise. Whether you have a six-year-old, five-pound Chihuahua or a six-month-old, fifty-five pound Boxer, exercise is a must. And who is going to give your dog exercise? You!
According to a survey conducted on behalf of the Petcare segment at Mars Inc., which includes such well-known pet brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas, Nutro, Royal Canin and Banfield, nearly two-thirds of dog owners engage in exercise on a weekly basis because of their dog and that 29 percent of dog owners who engage in regular exercise other than walking do so because of their dog. The survey also found that dogs are the driving force behind two-thirds of the walks their owners take each week.
Dogs force you to get outside for some fresh air and exercise, no matter if it is raining, snowing, you have little time, or you just don’t feel like it. And inevitably, once you are forced outside, you feel better and appreciate the push. It’s almost like having a very persistent personal trainer in the family.
There are many forms of exercise you can participate in with your dog that goes beyond daily walks.
Hiking – Taking your dog into the great outdoors is great for both of your health and wellness. Hiking trails are perfect for dog walking. You can even purchase a backpack for your dog so he can carry his own water and food supplies.
Rollerblading – Dogs love to run and if you are not able to run yourself, strapping on a pair of rollerblades can be a great compromise. You still get plenty of exercise but can also keep up with the pace set by a high-energy dog.
Beach Combing – There are many dog-friendly beaches all over the country and walking in sand is one of the best workouts you can do. Wading in the water and chasing the surf is also a fun way to get more exercise.
Agility – Training classes are highly beneficial for your dog’s mental and physical well-being, but agility in particular can also provide an avenue of exercise for a dog owner as well. You will definitely break a sweat running along the obstacles leading your dog.
So, it turns out you don’t need a gym membership to stay healthy. Bringing a dog into your life can keep you healthy while also providing all the additional benefits of being your constant companion.
Related articles
- Dog owners walk 23,739 miles over their pet’s lifetime (money.marksandspencer.com)
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Being and staying heart healthy doesn’t have to be a confusing or stressful endeavor. By following the five simple tips below you’ll be well on your way to getting and staying healthy, overall heart attack prevention, and having your ticker tick for a long, long time.
1. Move your butt
And your legs and your arms and your whole body! Being active is a sure-fire way to keep your heart healthy. And really, there’s a whole slew of positive reasons to exercise. It can help improve your immune system, cut your chances of getting some cancers and just generally make you a healthier and happier person. And the great thing is you don’t have to spend two hours daily at the gym to see the benefits. Start off walking fifteen to twenty minutes every second day. Then, as you get healthier and stronger, make it thirty minutes daily. Or take in a dance class a few times a week. The key is to get and stay active. So do things that you like, when you like, for the amount of time that you can handle.
2. Eat your fruits and veggies
Turns out your mom was right: eating all your veggies is good for you! Having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk of heart disease. And the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the better! Colorful fruits and veggies are full of heart disease fighting antioxidants. The rule of thumb is that at meal time half of your plate should be vegetables. And instead of snacking on sugary carb treats, grab an apple or a hand full of berries. They have the same sweetness as candy, and are actually good for you.
3. Laugh more
You know that saying “laughter is the best medicine”? Well, when it comes to keeping your ticker healthy and happy, it isn’t too far off. Turns out that laughing more is good for your heart. And not just because it makes you happier. Studies have proven that when you laugh you have 20% more blood flowing through your body. What does this mean for your heart? Well, periods of increased blood flow expands and relaxes your blood vessels. Like they’re getting a workout. This keeps them healthy and doing what they’re supposed to do.
4. Lower your stress
While laughing more is definitely a step in the right direction for lowering your stress, it may not be enough. And high, constant stress is a major factor when it comes to heart disease and heart attacks. So if you are a stressful person, you will want to take some measure to lower the amount of stress in your life. This could include taking stock of what is stressing you out and making some changes. Maybe work less (if it’s an option) or get help at home. Another route you can take is to better manage your stress. For most people who can’t get rid of the stressful things in there lives, this is their only option. Take some time for yourself. Learn some deep breathing exercises. There are an infinite amount of resources on dealing with stress.
5. Clean up your act
If you smoke or take drugs, stop. Right this second. Because even if you follow the other tips, you’ll still be severely at risk for heart disease. Same with drinking. The good thing about alcohol consumption is that as long as it’s moderate, you’re okay. Although, if you must have a glass of something every once in a while, why not make it red wine? Studies have shown that red wine every once is actually good for you. But cigarettes and drugs definitely aren’t.
Getting and keeping your heart healthy doesn’t have to be a big struggle. How many of the above tips are you already following?
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Many of us know it is very difficult to break a habit or addiction. The first day of breaking this routine is very difficult but each day gets just a little better. I remember when I was trying to break my addiction to nicotine, how hard the first day was but then it seemed to get better as each day went by. Starting a habit or routine can be very much the same type of thing.
Some of you may be excited or gung-ho to start a exercise program but after a couple days or weeks your excitement may fade. If you have a lot of weight to lose or just think you don’t like to exercise then you may just dread the thought of getting started and never launch your program. There are many reasons why the first 30 days of a exercise program are the hardest but if you can manage to get yourself up and exercising at least 5 days a week for the first month you will have successfully established a new routine and it will be harder for you to break.
Make it your goal to exercise for 30 days. Take your exercise program in one month increments and you will be more likely to succeed. If you can get your mind to think that each day you are doing your routine then that is the hardest it will ever be. Just think it will never be this hard again as it gets easier as you get in better shape and lose more weight. It is a positive mind frame that will keep you moving along.
Here are some things I did to help guarantee my success in the first 30 days of my workout program.
Support Group
You may not initially wish to share your exercise goals with anyone as sometimes people can be negative and discourage you. I have found it really helps to share your plans with someone who will be positive and encourage you to keep going. This can be anyone from a parent, spouse, friend or even your 4 year old son. Anyone who will often ask you how the exercise is going and keep you honest. Heck, they may even decide to be your exercise partner.
Leave Notes
I found that one very valuable thing to keep yourself going is to leave notes to yourself in random places. I used little sticky notes and put them in the bathroom, fridge, in my car, next to my bed, everywhere I knew that I might be spending time when I should be working out. These were helpful to get me going on the days when I just didn’t feel like doing it.
Exercise Equipment
Many of us just do not want to work out in a gym. There are many different reasons for this but the thing is we don’t need a gym to get in shape or lose weight. Today, there are many great options for home exercise equipment. This can be anything from a exercise video to home gym equipment. Whatever you decide it should be something you enjoy enough to do regularly and you won’t quit because you hate it. The point of exercise is not to torture yourself but to make yourself healthier.
Our minds come up with many different reasons not to exercise. Our minds basically hate change and wants things to stay the same. Don’t let your mind beat you in the beginning. Trick yourself into thinking you are only going to be doing this for 30 days then another and another. Eventually you wont even have to think about exercising as it will be second nature.
Do you have any tricks that you have used to keep at a exercise program? Please share them below.
Author Brian Williams is the owner of www.fitnessgearreviewed.com and enjoys many different aspects of exercise.
Having good quality home workout equipment is very important for most active and fit people. This has made buying home gyms a very popular option for most. This also leaves a lot of people asking about how to pick the perfect home gym. There are a number of different things to look at when buying a home gym, and if you ask the right questions and find the right features, you should have no problem finding the home gym that suits your needs.
The first thing you need to look at when buying a home gym is how much room is available in your home, and how big is the equipment going to be that you buy. Depending on what type of system is bought, it can weight hundreds of pounds and take up a lot of room. Some of them are fold up home gyms and do allow for easy storage. Looking at size, weight, accessibility, and storage options is important. Once you do that you can see how much room you have at home and which home gyms will fit into that space.
The next thing you need to look at is what type of muscle groups the home gym will work. Some people want home gyms that are muscle building and do not concentrate on cardio. These people need higher weights and the ability to work out many different muscle groups. Some people prefer lighter weights and home gyms that are geared toward increasing cardio first, strength second. Picking the right home gym requires looking at what muscle groups it was designed to work, how much weight it can lift, and the cardio benefits are available from it.
This also means it is important to find home exercise equipment that matches a your fitness level. Some home gyms are specifically designed for beginners. They are going to be easier to use, have less weight on them, and work exercises that are geared towards beginners. Other home gyms are built for experienced people. These gyms are harder to use, come in higher weight options, and workout more advanced muscle groups. These home gyms might be difficult for beginners to use.
One of the last things people should do before buying home exercise equipment is read reviews about them. This is the best place to learn things about the equipment’s durability, what type of results others have gotten with this equipment is, what the skill level of the equipment is, and if there are any flaws to it. It is also important to check the warranty that comes with this piece of equipment. Home gyms are rather expensive and you definitely want to purchase from a company that back up their quality. Reading reviews will help you learn from mistakes of others and give you information on purchases buyers are happy with. Do your research and you will come away with a purchase that makes you and your body happy.
Byline: Brian Williams researches and reviews most types of home exercise equipment for his website www.fitnessgearreviewed.com. He also has been a firefighter / paramedic for the last 10 years.
Your metabolism is what determines how quickly, or slowly, you burn calories and melt fat. This is why it’s very important to have a high metabolism if you want to lose weight or to avoid gaining it.
But how do you get a high metabolism? Let’s go over some effective ways:
1. Drink cold water - This a special tip I recently picked up and it’s ingenious. Apparently, when you drink cold water, your body needs to expand energy to heat it up to body temperature. What this means is that your body burns calories (extra ones) to heat up the water. This is basically a short metabolism burst. It’s not huge but every little thing counts.
2. Incorporate some spices into your diet such cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger. Each of these spices helps in its own special way for your body to better burn off body fat, control blood sugar levels, or provide you with a metabolism spike. In the Metabolic Cooking program, nutrition expert Dave Ruel uses a lot of these spices for one simple reason: they work very well. So make sure to include them in your meals as well.
3. Do more resistance resistance workouts – One of the best ways to boost metabolism is to increase your muscle mass. Even a small amount of extra muscle will be a big help. Muscle tissue requires more calories each day. This increase occurs even when you’re resting or sleeping. It’s a total increase in your metabolic rate. Even women need resistance training. You don’t need immense muscle tissue to reap the benefits of this metabolism boost.
4. Eat more protein – While you don’t need to go overboard and overeat protein, make sure you are getting enough of it. Protein is a thermogenic food so eating it requires more calories from the body to digest and process. This is another tip I got from Dave Ruel. Good protein sources include eggs, nuts, seeds, fish, chicken, and grass fed beef. It’s important to eat low fat protein sources for the best fitness results.
5. Do interval training workouts – Interval and circuit training is an excellent way to burn more calories and body fat. However, the real power of these types of workouts come after the workout is finished. In what is known as the “After burn effect”, your body continues to burn more calories at a rapid pace even after the workout is done. For hours. So, this is an excellent way to get a metabolism increase from your workouts.
Use these 5 tips and get the results you’ve been seeking.
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