Dog Walking: A Good Workout

Most of us take dog walking for granted, but does anyone of you know dog walking is actually a good whole body workout? This is, of course, provided that your dog is one of those big and powerful ones.

First off, dog walking strengthens the arms. This because when your dog is strong enough to pull you, you are exerting force to pull and keep the dog from dragging you away. To be exact, dog walking as an exercise results in firm and strong forearms.

The legs, obviously, are also worked out in dog walking. You are using your legs to walk, and at the same time, you are working to get a good root so that you maintain your balance in coordination with your arms to control the dog. When the dog pulls, you try to plant your feet firmly into the ground while pulling with your arms meaning tension is exerted by your legs. This strengthens the thighs and the calves of your legs.

In line with the dynamics of balance, you work to keep your weight on your waist when controlling your dog. When you do so, you are tensing your abs, slightly working them out although not to the scale of crunches or a bicycle exercise. Finally, dog walking helps you to regulate your breathing and build lung capacity as dogs are energetic animals. It’s not at all times that you have to control your dog, you have to run with them sometimes.

The next time you think that dog walking is a boring chore, think instead that you are working yourself out. Dog walking is not just for dogs, but is also beneficial to the people who walk the dog around. You are keeping yourself healthy and fit, as well as your dogs. Dogs are man’s best friends indeed.

The Bicycle Exercise

The Bicycle Exercise

Here’s a very good ab exercise that I found in this site. It’s very simple, and pretty effective too. It’s called the bicycle exercise. Like its name suggests, your legs are moving as if pedaling a bicycle. However, it is done face down so that the stomach muscles are tensed and exercised.

Here’s how this ab exercise goes:

First, you need a flat and clean floor to lie down in. Lay down on your back with your fingers laced behind your head. Now, slowly lift your shoulders off the ground. You must do this without moving your neck, or the ab exercise fails. Next, slowly lift your right leg towards your chest until it forms a 45-degree angle, at the same time moving the left elbow towards the right knee. Then straighten your right leg, while moving the left leg and right elbow towards the same position. Alternate between the two sides for 12 to 16 repetitions, or more if your body can take it.

Take note, this ab exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, but it does not burn the fat away if that is what you expect. I will publish more abs exercises for flat abdomens in the near future.