Need a Workout Partner for Motivation?
Doing a little sun bathing to warm up!
Need a workout partner for motivation? Look no further than your pooch! This post is geared towards all the dog lovers out there that are already in on this little secret. Here’s some great ideas for staying active with your pup in the southern California area:
1) Running – this is a no-brainer and doesn’t require any expensive equipment. But if you have a bigger dog you can’t keep up with, you should consider biking!
2) Hiking – one of my personal favorites and if you live here in San Diego, you have some amazing choices for great hikes. Just be sure to bring water for your dog. Here a site with 50 local dog friendly trails: San Diego Happy Dogs
3) Mountain biking – if you already enjoy hiking, this is like hiking on steroids! You get to take in the same beautiful views but cover more territory in a shorter period of time. Just make sure your dog is up on his training. You may need to give a quick sit command and teach him to go to the side of the trail if another biker approaches.
Coleman Instant up – up in 60 sec!
4) Backpacking – this combines the excitement of hiking with camping and allows you to go multiple places over multiple days. Companies like Ruff Wear make an amazing line of quality dog packs that your pooch can tote his own food and water in!
5) Kayaking – we are just recently getting into this but it’s great upper body exercise. It also gets you out of the inland heat and onto the cooler waterways. You can keep your pup between your knees so your arms are free to paddle. Just be sure get your pup a life jacket before you go.
Bouldering in the back country
6) Rock Climbing – this is a really cool sport that requires a partner. However, you can do “bouldering” without any other humans and without any equipment. And if you do choose to use harnesses and rope, believe it or not, they make special ones for dogs!
7) Snowshoeing – obviously you need snow, but in winter this puts a nice twist on hiking. Most times you can just take a short drive into our local Cleveland National Forest and find some great areas. You will need some protective dog gear for this one unless you have a Husky or Malamute.
Your pup loves going everywhere you go, and this is a great opportunity to get in exercise that doesn’t really feel like exercise because it’s just plain fun! Motivation and accountability is the number one reason why people hire a personal trainer. And while I don’t suffer from that problem as a trainer myself, I certainly understand those that do.
Giant Sequoia
As an outdoor enthusiast and conservationist, I love getting out of the gym for a little adventure whenever I can. And don’t over-complicate this, once you get a system for doing these activities in place, set up is pretty quick aside from backpacking. Just make sure your dog knows some basic obedience commands: sit, stay, come, heel. This will ensure your safety and make your adventures more enjoyable!
Be sure to check back next week for the second part of this series where I’ll help prepare you for successful adventures with your pup. I’ll also tell you about some gear that you’ll definitely want to check out. Live life to the optimum!
Melissa
OptimumCondition.com
(619) 252-4993
Empowering people through fitness, education, and coaching
