John Limpus

Jump to Comments

A recent article published in the Telegraph Online caught my eye by highlighting the fact that Dog walkers get more exercise than gym goers!

Now, as a dog owner myself, I want to fully endorse this method of exercise as SUPERIOR to the conventional squats and lunges that many people do in the gym. In fact this type of exercise is the way forward in SO many aspects that I can’t believe we have an obesity epidemic at all!

I mean, look at the evidence.

You increase you heart rate (moderately) over five times a week, which has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease by 50%

You occasionally have to bend down to pick up dog poo which, if done correctly (big if…), will mobilise the hip joint and can contribute to a reduction in lower back pain.

You get fresh air, and spend some time outside, reducing stress hormone levels which have been linked to weight gain, adrenal disfunction and mental illness.

What more could you want from your exercise program?

Not much, with a correct nutritional programme and a bit of help with your poo picking up technique you could even get quite good results from this exercise regime.

So what is the problem????

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T HAVE 8 HOURS A WEEK TO EXERCISE!!!!

For many of my clients, with the demands of a social life, family, AND work they simply DON’T WANT to spend eight hours walking the dog!

They have 2/3 hours MAX to tone up, strip fat AND give their heart a good workout.

They need to get the absolute maximum out of that hour, both mentally, socially and physically, in order to be able to get back to their families, work commitments and friends in the best physical shape they can be in.

If your goals are to control weight gain or strip body fat, and you only have two/three hours then vigorous strength training programs are DEFINITELY the most effective method for you.

That is why we market ourselves to BUSY people.

People that simply DON’T have eight hours a day to exercise.

Believe me, I rate dog walking very highly as a form of exercise but don’t be fooled by the headlines. All exercise minutes are certainly NOT equal!