Paws for thought ... is it time to work out with your pooch?
Get fit with your four- legged friend
As we are a nation of animal lovers, is it any surprise that dog loving fitness fans are making their way to the train-like-a- dog keep fit classes?
Yes, you heard it here first, UK pet charity Blue Cross have recently launched their 45 minute session, where participants can run around on all fours and presumably chase frisbees.
The program seems to be the brainchild of PT Born Barikor who is convinced that the workout combines strength training and cardio work.
The idea stems from the fact that the sort of exercise that dogs get when they go for a walk, can be adapted for us humans too.
The principle of moving like an animal while working out has been done already, some of you may remember classes that promised us a jungle body if we worked out like wild animals, so I suppose this is working on a similar philosophy.
The charity points out that at their re- homing station they receive many poor pooches who have been neglected in many ways, and a lot of the behaviour problems can stem from a lack of exercise and stimulus.
Dogs need exercise and if this has alerted you to the fact, there are a few things you might want to know before taking your pet to your fitness class with you.
First of all, if your four legged friend is not used to exercise, you need to build them up to it, just in the same way us humans have to.
Don’t shock their system by demanding too much from them.
Different dogs also need different types of exercise so do a bit of research and make sure you are doing the right exercise for your pooch.
Remember that even the youngest and fittest dogs will have a limit, so even if they seem to want to keep going, they may really be exhausted, so watch for danger signs when out on exercise.
Another consideration is, of course, safety. So make sure you are in a safe place to let your dog run free.
Finally try and enjoy yourself and make sure your pet is happy too.
Everyone is much more likely to want to keep fit if it’s fun and rewarding.
In the meantime, if you would like to take part in the dog workout but can’t make it to the classes, don’t worry, the good people at Blue Cross are happy to provide you with a downloadable exercise sheet that you can have a go at in the park on your own.
Here are some tips from Blue Cross to get you started:
Keep sessions short ( about two minutes) and practise about five to six times every day
Practise in different areas, for example in the house, out on walks and in the garden, but keep distractions to a minimum until your dog understands your requests
When to reward: all the time for the right movements; then for the whole action; then for best attempts.
Rewards can be: food ( this can be part of your dog’s dinner or small treats); praise or a toy or game.
Remember it is only a reward if your dog wants it.
The program is the brainchild of PT Born Barikor who is convinced the workout combines strength training and cardio. The idea stems for the fact the sort of exercise dogs get can be adapted for us humans