PAWS-ITIVE MOTIVATION!
It’s ruff with the gyms shut so our writer unleashed herself on the ulti-mutt workout. Drop the dumbbells and pick up your pooch
WHERE would we be without our faithful friends? All through the pandemic, dogs have kept us company, offered themselves for countless cuddles and have willingly walked the hind legs off themselves to accompany us on our daily escapes to the great outdoors.
But now that summer is on the horizon, more of us are looking to up the ante with our fitness. Gyms and fitness studios remain closed, so you have a choice — spend a fortune on home gym equipment, or simply sniff out the ulti-mutt workout.
Celebrities have been taking the lead when it comes to getting inventive with their fitness regimes and enlisting the help of their fur babies. Venus Williams gets her mutt to go fetch her tennis balls — all day long. Kate Hudson does push-ups with her pooch. And Amanda Siegfried goes hiking in the Hollywood hills with her hound.
And for the lay person, pawsitive fitness makes a lot of sense too. Not only is it a cost-effective way to ramp up your cardio and strength training — no costly gym equipment needed — but your dog will also benefit from the play interaction and inevitable belly rubs that will come their way.
As a self-confessed gym bunny, I’ve been getting a little fed up of the banality of Zoom classes and the lack of craic in general. I’m also a big — or should I say, small — dog lover, as the proud owner of two
Yorkshire Terriers. With their unwavering loyalty and companionship, these little tykes have helped keep me sane when the rest of the family have almost tipped me over the edge. Unlike children, they don’t create mess or make much noise, apart from the occasional bark.
So I decided the ‘leashed’ I could do was to help them get fit too — with the family at home all day, there’s been plenty more scarfing of leftovers and dropped children’s food which has added to their portly paunches.
I found a series of dog-friendly workouts courtesy of Canine Cottages’ dog-friendly holidays. They’ve teamed up with fitness influencer Amy Lou Perry and her ridiculously cute Cockapoo Teddy to bring the canine craze to the masses. Personal trainer Amy Lou from Wales is gorgeous and glossy, with abs you could bounce a tennis ball off and not a wayward grey hair in sight.
And did I mention Teddy — an impossibly beautiful creature? He hardly looks real, with his pawfect body and mop of curly tresses, he’s like the Joe Wicks of canine cardio. One glance at his impressive Instagram account, which boasts over 56,000 followers, confirms that he is indeed an actual animal, with a penchant for Pringle-style jumpers, dog-friendly pancakes and yoga. His fabulous furry features have been used to sell everything from pet-friendly candles and diffusers to matching dog and owner sportswear.
At just a year old, he’s wonderfully trained and well-behaved (think Pudsey from Britain’s Got Talent, god rest his soul) and the pair of them whizz through the exercises with the grace and ease of, em, the afore-mentioned late Pudsey and his owner Ashleigh. I look at my two canine companions, and feel somewhat concerned. Like myself, these Yorkshire Terriers are a little more seasoned — Elle is almost 11, with a tubby tum and then there’s bow-legged Bowie, with a touch of arthritis.
They are also, unfortunately, not very bright, however Elle’s insatiable appetite could be helpful in the motivational department here. My exercise mat was rolled out, the treats were at the ready, and I was about to discover whether Fido fitness was pawsible, or a barking mad idea...