About 69 million U.S. households have at least one dog. However, many dog owners never take their pets for a walk or do so infrequently. Furthermore, while 61% of dog owners walk their dogs for at least 10 minutes, only 27% walk their dog 150 minutes a week - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation for weekly moderate-intensity physical activity for adults, according to a 2011 study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
If you're among those who aren't as physically active, use your dog as inspiration to get outside and start moving.
"If you can keep your dog happy and healthy at the same time that you're keeping yourself healthy and improving the human-dog bond, that's great," says Dr. Jerry Klein, chief veterinarian at the American Kennel Club. Dog obesity is the No. 1 health problem in American dogs, Klein adds.
According to a 2015 medical journal article, various studies have shown that people who walk their dogs are more than 2.5 times more likely to achieve moderate physical activity. This is one of the reasons the American Kennel Club created the AKC Fit Dog program. Any dog owner who walks their pet for at least 30 minutes five times a week for at least three months receives a free magnet. You can also benefit if you walk your dog at least 15 minutes 10 times a week for a minimum of three months.
As with humans, regular walks are critical to a dog's mental and physical health. "Taking your dog out in nature, fresh air and sunlight is just as beneficial for dogs as it is for people," says Dr. Victoria Tomasino, owner and medical director of GoodVets Boynton Beach and GoodVets Delray in Palm Beach County, Fla. "It awakens the senses on both sides."
This combination of mental and physical stimulation can also help quell problem behavior in dogs. "Most dogs are bored to death," says Dawn Celapino, founder of Leash Your Fitness, a San Diego-based company where clients and their dogs work out together. "They need mental stimulation and a connection with their owner, but a lot of people don't realize that."/BGNES
