The struggle to lose some extra pounds is a common problem many of us face. Whether you are trying to radically change your life or just want to fit into that old pair of jeans you used to love, it can be hard to find the motivation and the health techniques that work personally to achieve those goals. Weight loss can be seen as a very individual experience, and it’s important to explore many varied avenues to find what is right. One idea, that perhaps isn’t the first thought to spring to mind, is our dogs. How can our canine friends help us get in shape and what can we learn about our own weight issues from them?
The American Heart Association suggests a number of ways to lose weight, such as ensuring you burn more calories than you consume. This is also impacted by recognizing your own personal build and frame. If you are short or tall, you need to take this into account in order to be eating the right amount of food. When thought about, this is the same simplistic principle we use to take care of our dog’s physical health. You wouldn’t underfeed a Great Dane, and you wouldn’t overfeed a Chihuahua, for example, so why would we do this to ourselves?
As dog owners, taking care of their health is a priority because their wellbeing is entirely our responsibility, but we must keep in mind we also have a responsibility to ourselves. If you try and see taking care of your dog and yourself as one in the same, then your health will thank you. As will your dog!
Another important step is to be well informed about how much exercise you should do which, again, is another link between human health and dog health. For your dog, the site PawCastle offers various helpful guides and advice about how much physical activity different breeds need on a day to day basis. If your dog needs one hour of play, that is the perfect opportunity to get active. Instead of letting your dog run about the feel while you’re on your phone, why not play fetch and walk with your dog? This way, you get a good amount of exercise per day without it feeling like a chore.
The correlation between dogs and our health may seem initially odd, but dogs are actually being used to help us better understand weight problems in humans scientifically. It was reported in Forbes that scientists from the University of Cambridge have published a study about how obesity in labradors may work in the same way as humans. It then is logical that if dogs can get overweight in the same way we can, its possible they can lose it in a similar way too.
Our dogs bring so much into our lives, joy, laughter, and companionship, so why not bring your dog into your health regime?
The only thing you have to lose is weight!
