Do I need to walk my dog?

The answer is yes.

Taking the time to walk your dog each day will not only keep your dog healthy, but it will help you mentally, physically, and can even increase your productivity.

Let's take a look at the 3 ways walking your dog will make you a better human:

Physical Health

Walking isn't the only thing required for fat loss, but it certainly helps.

By walking 45-60 mins each day (one long walk or multiple shorter walks) you can easily burn an extra 300-400 calories per day.

Low intensity movement such as walking is unlikely to effect your hunger, while higher intensity cardio (jogging or running) often increases appetite or makes you feel like you’ve earned some sort of cheat meal. This makes walking a great way to burn off some extra calories without increasing cravings.

Getting your body moving will also improve blood circulation, increase oxygen supply, and boost your energy levels!

Problems and Stress

For many people, one of the biggest benefits of walking your dog is stress relief.

Not only does the simple act of walking help reduce stress, but adding an eager dog into the mix can reduce stress even further. Training your dog during a walk can put you into a calm, yet focused state of mind and help to strengthen your relationship with your loyal canine.

Interested in meditation, but can't find the time to do it? Walking your dog with this purpose in mind can yield similar results. Tune out all the worries and nonsense circling around in your head, focus on your breathing, and be in the moment with your dog. Feel how your body moves and become aware of your surroundings.

If you have trouble clearing your mind, don’t stress. You can always use your walk to focus on a specific issue and use this time to work out your problem. Whichever way you go, you’ll feel better having done it.

Work and Inspiration

It doesn’t matter if you’re running your own small business or working for a large company, many of us don’t end our work day at 5 o’clock. More often than not, we bring our work home with us.

Letting the dog take you for a walk removes you from distractions in the home such as computers, magazines, and the evil refrigerator. With these distractions gone, you can get a surprising amount of work done in a short period of time.

I’ve found this strategy extremely effective whenever I’m working on a design concept or a presentation.

Walking your dog will make you a better person

Try this out: Plan to schedule your phone conversations and conference calls during your walk. This strategy can improve cognitive function and be a great way to keep the ideas flowing.

Famous creative walkers: Steve Jobs was known for his walking meetings and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is often seen holding meetings on foot.

So there you have it. 3 ways walking your dog will make you a better human.

Looking for some new walking gear? Discover the collection.

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