There is a growing body of research indicating that short bursts of exercise throughout your day have tremendous benefits to our overall health.
Walking your dog is a great opportunity to get some of these short bursts in! Instead of getting more screen time on your dog’s walk, make a game: Every time your dog stops to sniff, try one of the exercises listed below until your dog is on the move again.
I recommend starting with a 5-10 minute brisk walk to warm up before doing any of the jumping movements, even if that means walking in place while your dog sniffs for the first few minutes of the walk.
You can also take the jump out of any movement to decrease the amount of impact ex. Walking high knees instead of running high knees.
Enjoy, and please reach out if you need any assistance with selecting exercises or teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash so these exercises are possible!
Bodyweight Squats (sit back for all of these)
- Legs shoulder distance apart
- Legs Wide
- Legs Really Wide (Sumo Style)
- Squat Jumps
- Squat Jacks
Bodyweight Lunges
- In Place Lunges (Stationary Lunges)
- Step-Back Lunges (Reverse Lunges)
- Step-Forward Lunges
- Side Lunges (Lateral Lunges)
- Curtsy Lunges
- Lunge Jumps in place
Cardio (in place or moving and can be done walking or jogging)
- High Knees
- Butt Kicks
- Skater Hops
