The health benefits of walking with your dog are just the same as — if not better than — running on a treadmill. From strengthening your endurance to relieving your stress, engaging in outdoor activities with your four-legged friend can remarkably improve your overall well-being. Here are five ways how training with your dog can positively impact your health:
- Exercising becomes more inviting alongside your four-legged buddy.
- Engaging in morning walks with your dog can improve the quality of your sleep.
- Strolling with your furry pal can minimize your blood sugar levels.
- Committing to an outdoor routine with your pet improves your heart health.
- Taking your canine buddy for a walk can help you shed some pounds.
Exercising becomes more inviting alongside your four-legged buddy.
Walking your dog is already a form of exercise. If you can’t squeeze in some time to do Pilates or cardio workouts, taking your furry buddy out for a run can already make a huge difference.
According to research, seven out of ten individuals achieve 150-minutes worth of exercise just by walking their dogs. That is because when you take your dog outdoors, you are forced to exert the same effort and perform with the same intensity as your pet. In a way, your dog’s daily training becomes your regular exercise, too. Even if you don’t feel like shedding some sweat, you become more motivated to engage in a moderate-intensity activity every day to maintain your dog’s health.
Engaging in morning walks with your dog can improve the quality of your sleep.
Taking your dog out for an early morning stroll is the key to a deep slumber. Studies show that performing physical activities, not necessarily strenuous workouts, can significantly improve the quality of your sleep. Exposing yourself to natural light can calibrate your biological clock or circadian rhythm, which influences your sleep-wake cycle. When you receive sufficient sunlight in the morning, your body releases the right amount of melatonin in the evening. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that promotes peaceful slumber. So, if you make dog-walking part of your morning routine, you will surely achieve a quality shut-eye.
Strolling with your furry pal can minimize your blood sugar levels.
If you want to keep your blood sugar level in check, make it a habit to take your dog out for a quick walk every day. Frequently taking a stroll around your neighborhood can reduce your risk of developing diabetes as it can minimize the amount of glucose present in your bloodstream. When you perform moderate-intensity exercises, your heartbeat increases as well as your respiratory rate.
As a result, your body draws energy from the sugar in your bloodstream, minimizing your levels of glucose. Regular walking is recommended to individuals with type 2 diabetes, as it can greatly reduce their sugar levels. Next time you feel like stabilizing your sugar levels, take your little pup for a run.
Committing to an outdoor routine with your pet improves your heart health.
Walking is good for the heart. Studies show that thirty minutes of outdoor strolling every day can reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases by 30%. That is because committing to a physical routine can help dilate your arteries, thus, lowering your blood pressure. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure minimizes your chances of developing cardiovascular problems such as stroke, heart attack, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, vascular disease, and many more.
These heart-related illnesses are caused by the heart’s inability to properly pump blood as well as the plaque buildup in your arteries, which can be corrected through a healthy diet and regular exercise. By establishing an outdoor routine with your dog, you can remarkably improve your cardiovascular condition. Who would have thought that those simple jogs in the morning or those Frisbee games in the afternoon can benefit you, too?
Taking your canine buddy for a walk can help you shed some pounds.
While intense workouts with a professional trainer can help you slim down, walking your dog is also an effective method to lose weight. When you engage in moderate-intensity exercise, your body burns fat to use it as fuel, helping you shed some pounds. You can lose 100 to 300 calories by just running for thirty minutes with your pup.
When you engage in one hour of brisk walking around your neighborhood, you can lose 200 to 600 calories. Brisk walking can also minimize your belly fat. If you’ve always wanted to reduce your waist circumstance, then take your four-legged friend for a stroll at least three times a week for 30 to 40 minutes, and you’ll see a change in the weighing scale in no time.
Indeed, there is a reason why dogs are man’s best friend. Aside from the joy they bring, these one-of-kind furry companions also bring a load of health benefits to their owners. So, if you want to achieve your fitness goals, incorporate your four-legged pets into your physical routines.
