|
|
News
|
Animals help with exercise if you want to lose weight (January 14, 2009)
Who else has vowed this year to lose weight? And who else is busy deciding which diet programme to follow? It’s easy when you’re planning to lose weight to contemplate what you should and shouldn’t be eating. There are thousands of diet plans about but less said about that other important element which leads to successful weight loss, namely Exercise.
Who loves exercise?
Exercising is a key part of achieving your weight loss goals as well. The problem is that for many of us,
Exercise = going to the gym or being in a swimming pool
or working out to keep fit videos or DVDs at home
All of which adds up to:
Exercise = boring, routine
Which
is why gym memberships start off well in January and then by March –
like the diet – they have gone out through the window.
|
Exercising with animals is far more fun!
It’s a great way to become more active and build exercise into your life without actually thinking of it as exercise. Examples include:
- Walk dogs to help charities, elderly people, those who are in hospital or sick or friends going through a rough time
- Help with charities such as Riding for the Disabled who have groups of volunteers around the UK
- Lend a paw with animal charities – mucking out, grooming, helping with ground maintenance, gentle gardening
- Take part in charity events such as the Bluebell Walks for Canine Partners – no need to walk miles, just a couple will do. It will give you something to aim for. The Walk for Wolves for the Bornfree Foundation last September was one, two or three laps around Battersea Park – you didn’t need to be a marathon walker to take part
- Do a gentle llama walk or trek for about 45 minutes
- Help out with local conservation programmes such as Breathing Places
- Take gentle strolls around nature reserves e.g. the RSPB. Go with a friend who also wants to lose weight.
- Walk to work to help the polar bear instead of driving, or walking the kids to school instead of taking the car
- If
your company allows staff to bring dogs to work (and many do), hunt out
the dog owners and ask if you can join them for a gentle lunch time
stroll
- Join the RHS and spend free time walking around local gardens and enjoying the wildlife and nature there
Animals are great social catalysts – they really can help smooth the way when it comes to meeting new people. If
you’re helping out at a shelter for homeless cats, all the talk will be
about the cats, both those in the shelter, and animals you have at home
or have had or would like to have. Every animal is different, so you’ll usually have a different experience.
Animals never exercise because it’s good for them.
They do it because they enjoy it. Take a leaf out of their book and see what enjoyment and peace of mind you can enjoy from exercising too!
|
|
Starting off…
- Always consult your GP before starting any fitness regime.
- Check your tetanus boosters are up to date before you do any hands-on work with animals
- Go gently at first. Most animal charities will have something you can do to help out.
- Be willing to try new things
- Aim to enjoy what you’re doing so that you want to do more of it
- Remember that you can continue to burn calories off after exercise
Research shows that if you volunteer, you’ll get a feel-good factor high. Think back to your voluntary efforts a few weeks or days later, and that feel-good will return.
Click here to return to the News page
|
|
Farm & Country Cottage holidays
For hair & body products...
|
