The Dog Diet - Dog Walkers Get Twice as Much Exercise

Want to make sure you get in your walking each day? Become a dog walker! A study showed that dog owners got almost twice as much mild to moderate exercise as those without dogs. The duty to walk the dog made the difference.

Double Your Walking Time With a Dog

The study surveyed random households in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The dog owners spent an average of 300 minutes a week in mild to moderate activity - which matches weight loss exercise recommendations of an hour a day, most days of the week. Those without dogs averaged only 168 minutes.

The Dog Will Keep You Walking

Analyzing why the dog walkers walked more found that the obligation felt to the dog accounted for half of the motivation, while having a planned schedule for walking the dog accounted for the other half. Victoria has a mild climate year-round, it is a good walking environment.

Can You Walk Off Pounds With Your Dog?

Let's do the math. The additional walking time for dog walkers adds up to about 600 calories a week. Over a year's time, that's enough to burn off 10 pounds or prevent adding 10 pounds. A previous study by the University of Missouri-Columbia matched new walkers with loaner dogs and they lost an average of 14 pounds in a year.
Lose 14 Pounds a Year Walking Your Dog

Dog Walking Resources

• 10 Tips for Walking With Your Dog
• Exercising with Your Overweight Pet

Reference: "Relationships Among Dog Ownership and Leisure-Time Walking in Western Canadian Adults" American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Volume 30, Issue 2, Pages 131-136 (February 2006).
Article created: February 18, 2006