Yes, I walk my dog. Perhaps not as often as I should. But then again, he gets more than enough exercise running around the yard, playing with his toys, chasing and barking at squirrels, both real and imaginary, and following me wherever I go. He’s like a second shadow. My point is, the dog gets lots of exercise. It’s me who needs to get out into the great outdoors and do things – not to mention lose a few pounds.
Recent studies would seem to suggest that there are significant health benefits associated with walking your dog, including a lower risk of high blood pressure, as well as fewer other chronic conditions. I’d be happy just to shed 15 or 20 pounds so that my pants wouldn’t be so snug at the waist.
I found one study on the Internet, conducted by Cindy Lentino, an exercise scientist at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, D.C., in which she looked at the general health of 916 middle-aged adults who fell into three categories – those who did not own dogs, those who owned dogs but didn’t walk them and dog owners who regularly walked their pets. Lentino found that regular dog walkers had a lower body mass index (BMI) and fewer chronic conditions, and depressive symptoms than their counterparts. Lentino’s study went on further to say that the results of her study would indicate dog walking is something medical and health professionals should include when talking about activities that promote a healthy and active lifestyle.
“There’s definitely something special about dogs. They are inherently active animals,” says Lentino. “Dogs give owners a sense of purpose in that they need to be walked and humans need exercise.”
It only makes sense because you’re getting an upper-body workout by holding onto the dog’s leash and a lower body workout by walking.
While such studies basically state the obvious, the hardest things about any regular workout regime is establishing a schedule. I work long and often irregular hours. While I make a concerted effort to bring Arlo along with me when I’m working, especially on weekends, it is still the dog that is getting most of the exercise. He is, to say the least, an unabashed, not terribly shy, social creature who has to personally meet and greet every single person and/or dog that we come across. He puts on a lot of miles on any given day. I’m the one who’s sitting on my butt too much of the time.
My problem is that when I do have time for myself, I just want to sit and relax. On the other hand, I also know that having a dog is a responsibility. They need to be exercised. So do we. The trick is to get up off your backside and actually go for that walk. Based on the number of ‘dog walkers’ that routinely take their pets to Little Mountain Park, I guess it can’t be that hard. Not that I’m going to invest in one of those Spandex walking/jogging outfits with the florescent stripes, but I do think it wouldn’t hurt to set aside a certain amount of time – a couple of times a week – to take Arlo for a walk. He’s good with other dogs. I’m not worried about that. It’s me that’s not good with other people. I don’t know if I would fit in with all those svelte, healthy types who can actually keep up with their dogs. Not that I have any intention of trying to keep up with the proverbial Joneses, but I would like to be able to keep up with my dog.
So I guess the thing to do is to just start taking him for a walk on a regular basis. After all, I do owe it to him to be around long enough to continue taking him for his walks. At least until we’ve both grown old, old enough to just sit back and watch the world pass us by.
