With the New Year upon us, one of the most common resolutions that a person can make is to head down to their local gym and get their health and fitness into gear. Although I am an avid gym attendee I do experience this wave of positive attitudes throughout January when my regular run is interrupted by the inability to grab a treadmill (they have been taken over by an influx of new, incredibly excitable gym attendees).
When I was younger I really took my body for granted, but in recent years I’ve discovered that as you age you have to be just that little bit more careful to stretch and strengthen your body well to allow it to perform at its peak and failing to do this you can, unfortunately, be left with injuries which can have a significant impact on your lifestyle.
This might be the case for humans – but in many ways, it’s also the case for our dogs.
Excitable, fast, energetic – they are probably three words that you would use to describe a puppy but as a dog get older you will often see that it becomes slightly more demure, for the lack of a better word, and as such you as an owner may need to take more of a lead over ensuring that your dog gets the recommended amount of exercise each day.
Yes, this does mean getting up and out and walking your dog regularly as well as taking them down to the park and giving them a good run around, but giving them the exercise that they need at this age is crucial to ensuring that they build strong bones and don’t suffer from long-term diseases such as arthritis.
If you are looking to keep your dog fit and healthy then here are a few quick ideas to get you on the right path:
- Regular walks – taking your dog for regular walks can be a great way for you and your dog to keep fit at the same time. You can mix up your walk or you can simply do a trip around the neighbours (or find a group of friends to do it with you!)
- Play dates – sometimes it can be a little bit tiring if you have to entertain your dog, so why not let someone else help out and organise a play date for your dog. It’s a great way for your dog to make new friends and to get some exercise at the same time, what more could you ask for?
- Park visits – a run around your local park is a great way for you to keep your dog fit and healthy and to give them a little bit of a change of scenery at the same time. Parks are often incredibly dog-friendly and as a result, you can find these are great areas to really give your dog a runaround
- Steps – the wet UK weather means that we are often unmotivated to head outside for exercise and look for options within our own home. If you live in a double story building then a flight of stairs can be just what you need to give your dog the exercise that it needs.
