This post is dedicated to Jack from Leash Your Fitness. Sadly, Jack left this world for the Rainbow bridge recently. He spent so many years with his mom Dawn bringing joy, better health, and inspiration to people and their dogs all over the nation. Jack, you will be greatly missed, but never forgotten. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

#flashbackfriday Jack and I reached great heights together ⛰ #mtelbert #hikingadventures

A post shared by Leash your fitness (@leashyourfitness) on Jan 4, 2019 at 7:13am PST

As we have all gone about attempting to achieve our newest fitness and health goals for 2019, I bet some of us have already hit some road blocks and could use some grace and understanding as we continue to forge forward toward our inevitably audacious goal.

While it’s almost like clockwork to set fitness goals for ourselves at the beginning of the year, I wanted to ask everyone this year if they added fitness goals for their dog to the list of things they were hoping to move from occasional activities to daily healthy habits.

To spark the discussion, I thought I would outline a few ways that you can workout with your dog in this next month, to determine the right habits and schedule for you.

Hiking

A few years ago (3?!?!) we outlined 5 activities to try with your dog in the New Year and hiking was at the top of the list. I truly love hiking. I find it to be an activity that’s rigorous, outdoors, and reenergizing. Additionally, when we take Rooney with us he is usually reeeaalll tired afterwards and in my mind a tired dog = a happy dog.

---

If you are in the Bay Area, I outlined my top 4 favorite Bay Area hikes here.

---

Running

Running with your dog is an activity that is either natural to both of your or requires a lot of training and discipline. When I first started running with Roo it was really challenging. Rooney basically refuses to start running until he has pooped (which could be a solid half mile, or right away), then he definitely felt like the run was depriving him of smells, and lastly decided that anything above 2 miles was too far. After a few weeks of working with him to increase the distance, he didn’t seem to enjoy the longer runs. I honestly think he prefers walks instead.

Therefore, when I do take Roo for a walk I schedule my run either before or after, to ensure that he gets plenty of opportunity to sniff.

Walking

It may seem too simple, but it’s one of those activities that is outdoors (meaning it’s great for your mood), and not too lofty of an exercise goal for many dogs and humans to try, even if just for a half a block every day to start with. I highly recommend starting small and setting yourself up for success by picking a time you can meet every day. As someone who has a flexible and ever-changing work schedule and commitments, the times I can walk Rooney are always changing, but I try to be somewhat consistent from week to week.

Tools for Success

Apps

These days there is an app for literally everything, but dog-walking apps can remind you that it’s time for your daily walk and can even help you raise money for your favorite rescue.

Bullet Journal

I am giving Bullet journaling a try this year. I am truly amazed by what the bullet journal community has created in terms of daily/monthly “spreads”, mixed in with beautiful and elaborate designs. Despite the fact that the activity itself might be a little daunting, they have some amazing habit tracker ideas that help you achieve discipline in your lifestyle, which is something I am working on.

My idea is to add health goals for Rooney, mostly maintaining weight and building muscle mass, in the new year to my habit tracker.

I would love to hear from you. Have any of you Bullet journaled before? Would you be interested in learning more?

Accountability Buddy

One of the most well-known ways to ensure that you reach your fitness goals in 2019 is to use an accountability partner/buddy who will make sure that you aren’t skipping out on your workouts and daily habits. Thankfully, with a dog, accountability is built right in. If you can make walking or running with your dog a consistent part of your daily routine, it’s unlikely your dog will let you forget.

We would love to hear in the comments below about your 2019 fitness goals for you and your dog? What tools are you using to  keep you accountable?

Main Photo: Photo by leonides ruvalcabar on Unsplash