Why Your Dog Will Prove the Perfect Workout Buddy?

Who needs an expensive gym membership when you have the best workout buddy in your home? Yes, we are talking about your four-legged, fluffy friend. As if you needed another reason to ruff Fido, research suggests that dogs may be the workout motivation we need to get up and go that extra mile (literally). Let’s take a look at 7 reasons why your pooch will make the perfect workout buddy.

1. They don’t judge

Your dog will not judge you regardless of how silly you look doing jumping jacks, how bad your hair gets and how much you stink. They could care less if their owner exercises in worn-out, stained sweats or a glow-in-the-dark, rhinestone encrusted tutu. They are just there to give you good company and shower you with kisses every once in a while.

2. They never bail on you

Unlike your flaky friend Becky who always cancels at the last minute, your dog can’t call to make up excuses about why he can’t show up for a workout session. A number of studies, show how having a workout partner that relies on you to do well can actually impact your performance positively.

3. They are down for anything

A dog is willing to do almost anything his owner asks. Be it a brisk walk around the park, playing fetch, and swimming, canoeing, or even proper workouts.

4. Equal energy burn

One of the reasons why humans and dogs make the perfect workout pair is due to the fact they both burn close to the same amount of energy per pound when running or walking. Speaking generally, dogs shed around 0.8 calories for every pound per mile when going at a sharp speed of 3.7 to 4 miles every hour. Humans expend around the same level, around 0.73 calories per pound per mile, at a similar speed. This means that a person weighing 150-lbs sheds around 100 calories from a 1-mile walk whereas their 40-lbs dog burns approximately 32 calories.

5. They have Unlimited energy

Most dogs require exercise on a regular basis in the form of runs, long walks, bicycle rides, or hikes. When an owner begins to slack, the dog will keep pushing him, motivating to go that extra mile… it may just be to hunt down that pesky squirrel, nevertheless he will keep going; you will have no choice but to follow along.

6. It doesn’t even feel like a workout

20 minutes of Pilates or cardio cannot be sugarcoated – it seems, smells, and feels like a vigorous workout. On the other hand, playing fetch or having a swim with your dog feels more like a playtime than passing time. When you are distracted and not thinking about the workout, you will not be constantly checking your watch to see if the 20 minutes are up. You will actually enjoy every minute of it and notice how the time flies.

7. A chance to get fresh air

Doing squats in a sweaty, stinky and crowded gym may be good for your glutes, but it also makes you want to hop in the shower and never come out. Playing catch with Fido out in the open is not only a great way to leave the confines of a packed gym, but also to soak in the bliss and aura of Mother Nature, getting some sunshine and fresh air, and making some friends along the way.

8. Its inexpensive

When exercising with dogs, you don’t have to invest in expensive balls and Frisbees because they don’t care what you throw – an empty water bottle, a stick or your shoe- they will be happy to play anyway.