If you are one of those people that find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise like you should, enlist the help of your furry four legged friend, your dog.

In fact, dogs love to go for walks (or runs). So you can count on your dog to provide you with motivation to get out there and take that walk you’ve been putting off.

The exercise is good for not just you, but your dog too. The last time we took our dog to the vet, we were told that she needed to lose a few pounds too. The vet then asked us how much exercise she got. I said since we live out in the country, she’s free to go run around as much as she wants to on our property. But he told us that isn’t the same as taking the dog out fo daily exercise like a walk.

So my husband and I, along with our dog, took up the habit of taking daily walks. I make my husband come along for two reasons. One, he can certainly use the exercise. And two, the dog doesn’t so much like to go along for walks as she likes to go for a “drag.” She tugs on the leash so hard especially when she sees a rabbit or squirrel she feels needs to be chased that she’ll pull me right off my feet.

At first, we took it slow. we would walk just a mile. Over time, we’ve built up to a 3-4 mile walk every evening. sure, there are days where neither of us feel like taking that walk but our dog really doesn’t care if we feel like walking or not. When the time comes for her to take her walk, you’ll find her impatiently waiting by the door.

We do our best not to miss any nights since the dog has become accustomed to the routine (and so have we). We only skip a night if the weather is particularly bad.

At this point you’re probably wondering if we saw any results. We did. The dog lost two pounds by taking her nightly walks. My husband lost 10 pounds without making any changes to what or how much he eats. I lost even more than that but I also make some changes to what I ate.

Now I’m not going to tell you to get a dog just so that you can have someone to make you walk every night, but if you have a dog, then take advantage of your exercise partner. It’s good for both of you.

And, if you have been wanting to get a dog anyway and are ready for the commitment of caring for a dog and giving it the exercise it needs, then visit your local pound and talk to them about adopting a dog who needs a loving home.

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