I got a puppy... why pets are great for kickstarting your fitness journey

So let’s just start off this piece with three Do’s and Don’ts of pet ownership before I actually get into the piece so that there’s no confusion from the onset

Do

  1. Research the breed that best fits your lifestyle and home life

  2. Foster a dog if you are not willing or able to fully commit to a fur baby

  3. Enroll your new fur baby and yourself in training classes if you’ve never owned a dog before

Don’t

  1. Get a pet if you can’t afford it. They are expensive

  2. Get caught up in the adopt vs shop argument (once again pick the dog that’s best for you)

  3. Forget to love on your fur baby and thank him or her for being your fitness buddy

Now that we’ve covered those, cue picture of my new fur baby Poseidon. He is a purebred Border Collie and his birthday is May 18th 2020. Why is that relevant you ask? Well my birthday is April 18th. I almost didn’t write that but then I realized that was publicly available information. ANYWAY. I got Poseidon because I have always wanted a puppy, specifically a Border Collie and it just seemed like the right time. I was no longer traveling heavily (and don’t think I will be for the foreseeable future), I was a bit depressed and looking for a reason to get out of bed, and I was allowing the depression to put me in such a funk that all the hard work I had been putting in just seemed to fade away.

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Enter my baby PEW PEW - which is what we call him affectionately because those are his initials. Yes my dog has a middle name :). Poseidon, as a Border Collie, is a high energy breed. If you’re curious about the Border Collie breed you can read more here. As a high energy breed, they are perfect companions for people with active lifestyles. Similarly, all dogs need exercise to be happy and well behaved. This means you as a pet parent will likely be taking your pet out for walks at least 3 times a day, and if you have a puppy every 3-4 hours in any given day.

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The trick with fitness or any other motivator is understanding the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Extrinsic motivation is focused more on completing an activity to earn a reward or avoid a punishment. Whereas intrinsic motivation is focused more on completing an activity for its own sake and personal reward. If you’re a dog person (like me); spending quality time with your dog on walks or playing games such as fetch and chase is great intrinsic motivation which also doubles as exercise.

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The easiest way to restart or jumpstart your fitness journey is to just get moving. Even if it’s only for 30 minutes a day, building on that foundation is how you increase your stamina and endurance. Fun fact: you can also use your dog as resistance weight for squats and push ups or even as a yoga buddy. Be sure to have created a strong bond with your new furry friend before pushing him or her to exercise. Also, be sure not to over exercise your puppy! Be on the lookout for more pet workout videos and fun check ins from the king of the sea himself and our resident Greek god Poseidon!

XOXO

Jae and Poseidon from The Last Mermaid

FitnessJanaee WallacePets, Fitness motivationComment