Going for a (Dog) Walk
The first days of spring are here and most of us are just itching to get outside. But if you have at least one four-legged family member, there’s a good chance you’ve already been getting your exercise – even when you don’t want to.
That’s the good thing about dogs – they don’t mind taking walks early in the morning, late at night or when it’s cold and they’ll certainly drag you along too. This piece on the Well blog from Tara Parker-Pope at The New York Times highlights new research revealing more than half of those who walk their dogs regularly are meeting government criteria for moderate or vigorous exercise.
The study also found those dog walkers are likely to engage in more vigorous activity and take part in leisure physical activities like gardening.
Head to any park on a sunny day and you’ll find plenty of people with their dogs. In particular, if you don’t have a large yard, parks are the perfect place to exercise your dog – and yourself.
Check out our Park Directory for a list of parks with dog parks.