Left Coast Fitness: Living Fully

Pets and Fitness - Some Fun Ideas

Hello Again, Pet People!
In my last post on  exercising with your pets I spoke about how important it was to help our pets stay (or become) healthy.  It should come as no surprise that exercising with your pet can improve your well-being as well.

Studies have shown that with proper exercise, stress levels decrease, appetite improves and is more readily regulated, and sleep becomes more consistent and restful. Not bad just for having some fun.

So, today I’d like to offer some references to videos and sites where you can see some great ideas on how to exercise with your pets. By the way, I won't swipe other people's hard work which is why I'm redirecting you directly to their sites, but don't forget to come back here too.
[Please note that I am neither endorsing, nor objecting to, any of the products you might find at these sites; I’m merely suggesting that they have exercise ideas you might consider]

As I see with my own clients, there are athletes and weekend warriors and just plain Folk in the animal world as well so here's one for the SERIOUS pet athletes out there - playing flyball which you can check out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X64NC0oQdPI

So you and your best four-legged Bud are more of the casual Frisbee type? Well, for many of you it’s a a natural and has been part of your regular playtime for years. For the rest of you sitting there looking at your pup and remembering the last time you tried this to no avail, I offer this great site where you can learn how to play Frisbee with your dog in a few simple lessons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEbODCH8MJk&feature=related

Then there’s always the Pet-to-Pet workouts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuAWEZxvuHI

I suppose if you’ve always loved treadmills for yourself you could consider this:
http://www.jogadog.com/index.html

But personally that makes me kinda sad, so I’d opt for something along these lines for ideas:
http://www.hillspet.com/weight-management/pet-exercise.html

Just like their people, pets may need to be coaxed to play more energetically, so search for the right environment, the right toy, the right playmates to excite and interest your pet. If your dog is shy or aggressive you might not be too happy going to the local dog park and expecting your pup to have a great time. You might find that a quieter environment with fewer distractions works better. If your pet has lazed around for months or years, getting out for a long hike or run may turn into a very long walk back carrying a recalcitrant/exhausted buddy!
So plan accordingly and try different things - be your pet’s trainer and coach.

In my next post on exercise and pets we’ll be looking at keeping your pet safe during exercise and play, so please be sure to come back for more.

Have a great day with your pet today and don’t forget a healthy treat...for your pet, that is...Oh, OK, for you too...good person! Yes, you are!

Obese Beasts and Couch Potato Critters?

By now you’ve probably heard enough about obesity in adults and children to see that we need to make changes in our approach to how we live if we’re going to be able to enjoy our lives fully.
Well, said to say, our pets are also falling under the spell of too many calories in and too few calories out.

Studies from 2007 through 2011 have shown a steady increase in overweight pets with some studies citing obesity levels in pets as high as 57% for cats and 44% for dogs.
Considering that we’re talking about domesticated animals it’s hard to ignore the obvious truth - we are overfeeding our animals for the level of activity they live with.

In the case of cats this is a pretty straightforward fix - simply decreasing the amount of food or the availability of food will yield great results. A bit less obvious but an even better solution is, if possible, consider a raw food diet for your cat. Le’s face it, not too many cats are out there foraging for wheat, rice, or corn, regardless of how hungry they are!
Dogs will fare far better on a more “conscious” diet as well, of course.

One of the biggest reasons why animals overeat is simple boredom.
I think sometimes we forget that these are domesticated animals but only barely...they are hunters at their core. Pets need physical stimulation as well as mental stimulation; they need to run, jump, chase and be chased and this is especially true for dogs.

Think about the last time you sat in a meeting or an airport or in a car for hours; now think about the last time you were out on a beautiful trail or on the beach or beside a lake - the smells of nature, the breeze against your skin, the exhilaration of being able to move freely and walk or run. Now which would you like to repeat again and again?

Our pets are often stuck in situations that prevent them from enjoying their very nature and they’re looking to us for help. One last thought - as a client of mine pointed out today, if your pup is overweight, odds are you (the owner) aren't getting enough exercise!

NEXT UP: The joys of flyball, frisbees, parks, and recreation.

bathtubs, teaspoons and treadmills...

During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the Director how they determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill a bathtub with water.  Then we offer the patient a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.'

'Oh, I understand,' I said. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.'
 
'No.' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug.’

‘So, would you like a bed near the window?'

Sometimes when I listen to people arguing about whether the treadmill or the elliptical is superior I think of that story.

Do you really want one hell of a great cardio session? Get outside, first of all, if the weather meets your tolerances – the same time spent on a bicycle or fast-walking or running out of doors will burn more calories and be more stimulating in so many ways.

Better yet, do a long set of walking lunges, a short set of burpees, a short set of walking lunges and a long set of burpees (repeat as necessary) and I guarantee you’ll be burning more calories and strengthening your core. Or a few series of swings and snatches will produce an incredible demand on your cardiovascular system.

So, are ya gonna pull the plug on those electric hamster wheels or should I ready your elliptical, I mean bed, by the window?

I can't stop the rain from fallin'

Nor should I particularly want to (at least not here in California where we've had 3 years with insufficient rainfall) but I do hear you cardio hounds out there moaning as the pelting rain drives you indoors.
What to do?
How do I get that heart rate up and sustain it?
Well...let's see...got kettlebells?
Anyone who has ever used kettlebells will undoubtedly be able to relate how winded a great set of swings or double cleans or snatches can be.
Not into the iron? No worries - how about the most simple of exercises from the old P.E. days of school: Jumping Jacks, Knee-Ups, Butt Kicks?
Too easy? How about standing jumps to a stable surface say 18 to 24" high?
Not into that level of impact? No problem - dance...yup, dance!
15 minutes of pretty much any (solo) Latin dance will have your heart rate up there unless you pick the Tango I suppose or the Lambada which besides being the Forbidden Dance (by whom???) is REALLY going to be difficult done alone. Not doing it alone then I guess your heart rate should be elevated quite nicely.
The point is, there are many, many alternatives to outdoors running and I am NOT offering indoor ellipticals or treadmills and such as an alternative - get off the hamster wheel Folks and watch how body fat melts!
One last thing - don't try swinging that sledge indoors unless you're doing demo work.