How to get fit with your dog in 2023

“New year get fit” and “live more sustainably” - if these are your new year resolutions, our team at Clent Hills Vets in Bromsgrove have just the thing for you. Keep reading to discover some exercise ideas you can do with your dog, ways to stay motivated, and tips on being more sustainable at the same time. 

Before you start, booking a check-up is wise to ensure your dog is in the right physical condition for your chosen activity. Doga should be fine though! 

Book a vet check-up

New year fitness motivation tips 

Sticking with a new year fitness challenge is much easier if you don’t do it alone. Who better to motivate you than your dog? Dogs are almost always up for exercising with their humans!  

Finding an activity that you enjoy together will also help with motivation. Why stick at just one? You will both benefit from a varied exercise routine as it gives overused muscles, joints, and ligaments a chance to rest and recover. It will also make your fitness journey more interesting and more likely to continue past the end of January for longer-term benefits. 

Five ways to get fit with your dog 

• Upgrade your daily walk - A one-hour walk can burn up to 200 calories and can be very rewarding for you both. Warm up in winter months by exploring new routes that you and your dog can enjoy together. Don’t have an hour? You can also upgrade shorter walks by changing the speed, adding hills, using obstacles, and incorporating some play time.
• Doggy jogging - It might take a bit of training to get the pacing right and make sure you don’t trip over each other, but dog jogs are a great bonding activity and exercise.
• Dog agility classes - Agility training is fun, energetic, and stimulating for both you and your dog. You can buy (or make) equipment for your garden, or start visiting a dog club or training centre with all the right gear. Search dog agility classes near Bromsgrove, Hagley, Rubery or widen the search to Worcestershire. 
• CaniX (Canicross) - If you’ve not heard of this, CaniX involves running with your dog attached to a harness around your waist. There are running events countrywide, starting at 2K. Find out more about this activity and find a CaniX weekend event - Canix.co.uk near you. 
• Doga - Doing yoga with your dog can benefit body and mind, for you both. Dogs pick up on human emotions and can suffer the same stress. Doga lets you spend quality bonding time being calm and reassuring your dog. Plus, yoga has been proven to be good for heart health in humans, so why not dogs too? Learn more about the practice of doga.

Six ways to make your dog activities more sustainable 

• Can you walk to your activity location? Save on carbon emissions and get a warm-up. 
• Use eco-friendly dog poop bags - biodegradable poop bags will help reduce plastic pollution, as will compostable ones (just don’t put these on compost used for food crops!) 
• Did you know you can get eco-friendly dog collars, leads and harnesses?
• Take a reusable water bottle with you. Here are some eco-friendly options our Bromsgrove team found at Ocean Bottle  and Wearth London
• Need new gear? Search for ‘sustainable sportswear UK’ and find a range of active brands. 
• Don’t throw away your old sportswear and dog leads, try donating them instead. 

Why not invite friends and local dog owners to join you on your 2023 fitness journey? Just hit the share button in this article or copy the link to your Facebook page. 

Don’t forget to book your dog’s new year check-up before you get started.   

Book a New Year dog check