Dog Walking is a great route to reduce stress. You have such a wonderful time, the most wonderful companion, who never stresses you, has a go at you, always wants to go with you. It means you are more likely to go out and meet others. In addition it helps with weight loss through balanced non impact work out and helping from a motivational / pleasure point of view, thereby reducing stress. What is betterthan spending time outdoors with man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Additionally you can also meet many interesting people and have the dog to talk to them about. Discussing your problems and issues, is great for reducing stress.
Dog Walking is an exercise that everyone can do. What’s great about it is that you can do it single-handily or with a friend. If you do not have a friend, the dog provides great company. It’s simple to do, and requires nothing, apart from a dog, a lead 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, you could even become a dog walker in London where it is well liked.
Dog walking has multiple benefits. Since it burns calories, it helps with weight control. Sixty minutes 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 burn. Walking does not strain your limbs, unlike jogging, which can damage your joints and bones.
In fact it actually helps the knees. The dead of dog walking encourages cartilage growth and the flow of synovial fluid inside the knee. It also strengthens the muscles that shield the knee.
Because dog walking is weight-bearing it also helps strengthens the muscles that protect the hips. In addition it builds bones therefore reducing the likelihood of fracture due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the possibility of getting low back pain.
The raised exertion needed for dog walking helps the heart to pump more efficiently. This helps reduce blood pressure with the resultant 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 increases endorphin production which helps relieve pain, reduces serum cortisol levels which helps reduce anxiety (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 easy. Start with a good pair of walking shoes. If you suffer from flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not try to do too much at the very beginning. Build up gradually increasing the amount you walk. A good goal is 10,000 steps per day, which is approximately 5 miles. Don’t worry it is not that far, remember, most people already walk about 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day during the course of a standard day. Do not forget that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same characteristics, need to walk over 5 miles a day. Most have the strength for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your health, you can build up from low levels. Only one problem, No dog. Not a problem, ask around, there are many people who are time starved and don’t have ~ enough time for walking their dog. More and more, during these economical times, dogs are being handed into dog charities, so either volunteer for dog walking or why not re-house a dog.
Strapped for cash, why not help out people who do not have time for dog walking and looking after their animals and become a pet sitter and cat sitter.
How fast for your dog walking will depend on you and your dog. Start cautiously. A moderate rate, 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 the dog and it is more tiring for you.
Please note, it’s important to keep up your dog walking routine, for both you, the dog(s)! Enjoy yourself – it will reduce your stress.