Dog Walking

Last week, on my current Thursday clinic shift, we chatted about strategies to get someone who doesn't exercise to start. We brainstormed lots of ideas and took notes for when I am in practice and begin coaching non-exercises. So, exercise motivation has been on my mind lately.

Then, on the weekend, when it was nice, bright, and somewhat warm outside, I noticed lots of dog walkers. This got me thinking: would owning a dog help with exercise motivation?

Throw a dog a bone ...then chase after it with him/her!

If you are a good dog owner, then you take your dog on walks to stretch their legs, frolic and be free, and use the bathroom of course. Having a dog basically forces the human to get outside (unless you have a hired dog walker or a big, fenced-backyard where you can let your dog roam unattended... but let's not think of too many counter points; that'll defeat the point of my argument :P). So yes, owning a dog forces you (if you want to take good care of your dog) to get outside and go on walks on a regular basis.

My conclusion: maybe non-exercisers just need a dog to get them moving! Especially a dog that definitely needs to be walked (i.e. not one of these lower energy dogs, but if you read the attached article, you'll see that even teeny-tiny pups also need a good stretch!).