Here’s how a Pet dog can help you Lose Weight

Research has shown that having a pet dog has the ability to make dog owners lose weight. This is because when you have a pet dog, you will tend to take excellent care of it and will be obligated to take it for a walk. This obligation and responsibility that you have to your pet is so strong that it could have the potential to be an excellent sustainable form of physical activity because it taps into what you care about deeply, the happiness of your beloved dog. Walking your dog is not only healthy for them but it could also be healthy for you because of all the extra steps that you are taking and extra calories that you are burning while talking to your dog which could easily add up over time. Research has found out that people who walk their dogs are much more likely to meet their daily physical activity goals, dog owners walk almost 3 hours more a week on average as compared to non-owners, and 87% of dog owners meet their daily physical activity target as compared to 63% of non-owners. Dog owners who walk their dogs themselves took 2,000 more steps and even got around 13 minutes more of moderate-vigorous activity as compared to non-owners. Moderate-vigorous activity is very important to your health because it exercises your heart, so walking at a brisk pace is important and has been shown to increase people’s overall health. In addition to more physical activity from walking their dogs, another research has also shown that the dog-walkers were still likely to actively participate in other forms of physical activities which shows that they have not replaced walking their dogs with their usual physical activity sessions.

How your pet dog can help you Lose weight

How you care for yourself is closely related to how you care for your pets, this is true because when people compromise their own health, this is also reflected on how they take care of their pets and they will tend to overfeed or overindulge them in dangerous ways. If you do not go out and exercise often, then chances are that you won’t take your dogs out for a walk all that often. By taking your dogs out to walk, you will be able to build a stronger relationship with them and also provide both of you with good exercise. You can also jog in intervals with your dog and if you have a more active breed then you could also consider doing more physical exercises such as bike riding and maybe even running with your dog to speed up your weight loss and keep in more fun.

Your dog will also become your exercise coach and motivator. You should set a daily routine with your dog so that you will have something to follow and possibly look forward to. Try to walk and run at similar times each day, morning time is the best for your dog because it accumulates a lot of energy resting at night so it is very helpful to burn the energy in the morning, it is also beneficial for you as it will help you burn more fat and also keep you active throughout the day. The more you walk or run with your dog, the more it will expect it so when you feel lazy to exercise on some days, your dog will nudge and whine at you until it gets its exercise which will help motivate you to get up and burn those calories. Companionship is very important to human beings and having a pet can make all the difference. Furthermore, pets are completely dependent on you for everything in their lives. Pet owners will generally ensure that their pet is having proper nutrition and buy the most premium food that they can for their furry friends. This way of thinking can easily be applied to yourself as well and you will start reading the labels of your own food and choose healthier choices automatically which will help you eat more healthy and lose weight.

If you are serious about losing weight and you would like to do so in a much more fun way then you should consider getting a pet dog, or simply visit your local dog shelter as they are always looking for people to walk their dogs. Getting a furry little friend will also help you become more responsible and dependable as your pets will completely rely on you however, it is worth it as your pet will make you much more active and you can spend a lot of fun times chasing after it or taking it for a walk or a run in the park which will help increase your physical activity and make you lose weight. You will also have a companion that will help you feel less stressed everyday as you pet and play with them further increasing your chances of losing all those pounds. If you need professional help or someone you can talk to and help plan your weight loss journey, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Narindr at one of the links below.