Top Tips for Creating an Exercise Plan for You and Your Pets

New Year, new me. There is something about January that brings about feelings of fresh starts, resolutions and new beginnings (which just happens to be the theme for this month’s issue). So, when Marise, the lovely Editor for Pet Prints, mentioned that she saw this really cute reel on Instagram of a woman working out with her pet and that it could be a good topic for this month’s issue, I thought ‘oh yes!’ Long walks on the beach with your dog, hikes in beautiful destinations and getting your arm exercises carrying your cat up and down the stairs. Because we all know the cats aren’t doing anything but judging.

Imagine my surprise when I open the reel and it’s this crazy lady doing squats, arm curls, lunges all with her very complacent cat in her arms. Now I don’t know about you, but if I tried to use my cat as a dumbbell, I would end up in the emergency room!

So to spare you and your pets, and to make it more inclusive (because its not like you can dead lift a Rottweiler), I came up with some fun exercises that you can do with your pets that can form of your daily/weekly exercise plan. And please note that the goal here is not about losing weight, but rather to move more, get out more, shake up the old boring routine and overall, just having fun and bonding with your pets in a new way.

Try something new

If your dog has some basic obedience training then there are so many interesting and fun dog sports out there that you can get involved in. A few that have caught my eye are mantrailing whereby your dog uses their sense of smell to find a person.

In this activity, your dog is on a lead and you follow them until they find the human. Then there is hoopers and agility. They are fairly similar to each other in that the dog has to navigate a course of obstacles, but in hoopers there are no sharp turns. Other more common ones are trail running, paddle boarding and hiking.

Play touchers

Release your inner child and get in on a game of touchers, Pet Parent style. My dogs absolutely loooove to be chased. So much so, that they steal things they shouldn’t, just so you are forced to chase them. Yes, I tell myself this, because the other alternative is that they just love to steal.

Chase your dog around the garden, until you catch them and then its their turn to chase you. I can personally vouch for this one and say it is a lot of fun, very exhausting and a great way to get your steps in without going on a walk.

Climb stairs

This sounds like torture to me, but if your dog is very high energy and you yourself love to get your heart pumping and muscles burning, this is great leg and glute workout. Doing this fast paced will probably make your pet more inclined to follow you and join in.

That being said, you don’t have to go full on Rocky. You can slow it down and go up and down at a pace that suits you and your pet. If your pet needs a bit of motivation, sneak them a treat or 2 along the way. I mean, that is the whole point of exercising right? To burn calories so you can eat more…

Go swimming

Unfortunately, this will only work if your dog is a water baby. I also do not recommend trying this with your cat. Working out in water is such a great exercise for older dogs, dogs with joint issues or even overweight pets.

While you swim laps, your dog can swim after some water toys that float. In this summer heat, exercising while simultaneously cooling done is definitely a winner.

Bryony Van Niekerk
Mom of dogs; slave to cats. An environmentalist who loves travelling, baking and going on adventures with her dogs, Linc and Oliver.
To be a part of the chaos,follow
@misadventures_of_ollie

Ps. It’s always a good idea to have your dog wear a life jacket, even if they are avid swimmers.

Go Fetch

This is not the regular version of fetch where you stand in one place, throw a ball or toy, your dog fetches it and brings it back on repeat. Oh no, this is Fetch on steroids, designed to get you moving as much as your pup. Throw the ball (a ball launcher might be a good idea here), and then full-on race your dog to see who can get there first. Do this a few times for an awesome high intensity workout.

Pro Tips

A few things to keep in mind when exercising with your dog is their fitness levels and the weather. Never do any intense workouts or activities in the heat of the day, and on the other hand, don’t go swimming when its freezing.

As much as we want our dogs to be able to do everything, understand their limitations and  espect them. Overexerting your dogs can lead to heatstroke, split paw pads and other injuries.