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Benefits to you of Walking Your Dog

Walking Your Dog - Happy Breath

There is no shortage of articles on the internet stating the health benefits of walking your dog outside every day. It helps you dog stay fit, burns off excess energy, keeps their mental health in check, and keeps a number of health problems at bay.

But what of you? The dedicated dog parent who regularly goes out and gets their dog the exercise that they require. Actually, this activity does you a lot of good, too, but you barely find anything on the internet focusing on the benefits of walking your dog for you. If you have been wondering what you get out of it, here are a few advantages of dog walking for you.

Helps You Control Weight Gain or Obesity

We all lead largely sedentary lives these days. We go to work and sit in front of a laptop, we come home and sit in front of the television. This lifestyle has already had a huge effect on the physical health of most of us, as we do not get enough physical exercise. One of the most common problems that this has resulted in is obesity. We are generally a lot less fit than our grandparents were, and we are definitely gaining more weight as well. Those of us who are health-conscious try to stay on strict diets and go to the gym to make up for the lack of exercise.

Having a dog automatically goes some way towards solving this problem. With a dog, you cannot afford not to go out for walks multiple times a day. Whether you do it for yourself or not, walking your dog ultimately leads to you getting in far more exercise in your routine than you would have otherwise, and stops you from becoming a complete couch potato.

Positive Mental Health

Getting some fresh air can always make you feel a little better. Being cooped up in a house can start to feel dreary, and having no social interaction can dampen your mood significantly. You might have noticed that as soon as you step out and breathe in the fresh, crisp air, you automatically start feeling a little better. If you’re surrounded by a scenic view of the ocean or the mountains, it is even better.

When you’re feeling down, you might be too lazy to go out on your own, but because you have a responsibility to your dog, you do end up stepping outside. It helps you feel better, and spending time outdoors in nature drastically improves your mental health.

There is nothing better than a pet and some peaceful time outdoors to lift your spirits and make you feel reenergized and alive.

Lower Blood Pressure

It has long been known that the best solution to controlling your blood pressure is to walk, walk, and walk. Even ten minutes of brisk walking everyday can give help you lower your blood pressure and lead a more active lifestyle. Walking helps with blood pressure as it reduces the stiffness of your blood vessels, allowing blood to flow through more readily.

The effects are evident during and after you work out or walk. With a dog, you have to walk briskly for more than just a few minutes every day. Your dog gets to burn his calories, and you get to walk to relieve the blood pressure. Win-win!

With bigger dogs, you might even have to walk faster than you normally would to keep up with their pace.

Stronger Muscles and Bones

Weak muscles, joints, and bones are the direct consequence of inactivity and immobility. The more you keep your limbs and muscles moving, the healthier they will be. If you let them be and stay without too much exercise, you will notice that your joints and bones will start deteriorating after a point. With a dog, you can’t help but maintain a healthy lifestyle. You take him out for walks regularly, play with him, run him, hike with him, and exercise with him. All of this benefits you more than you can imagine.

Going out regularly with your dog to walk already keeps your muscles, joints, and bones active and fit. Even if you don’t squeeze in any more exercise in your schedule, your regular dog walks should be enough to keep you healthy for a while.

Your doctor must have told you a million times that you need to walk and exercise daily in order to stay fit, but most of us cannot take the time out from our busy routines and schedules to actually squeeze in some exercise. But for our dogs, we do because we love them so dearly. And in the process, we end up benefitting ourselves.

Keep going on long serene walks with your dog, and keep both of you fit. Whether you are walking around your neighborhood, the beach, or the mountains, make sure that wherever you and your dog go, you don’t harm the environment in any way and don’t litter. Let’s keep our surroundings clean, and it will surely serve us well in the future.

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