Genius Ways To Get Into A Workout Routine With Your Dog

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Everyone knows exercise provides a range of benefits to humans. It helps dogs in the same ways. Ideally, most healthy dogs should get some form of physical and mental exercise on a daily basis; up to 30 to 120 minutes a day, depending on breed, age, and overall health, with an average of 30 minutes of daily exercise recommended for humans. That means you could start a routine with your dog and work out together every day, whether it involves running, swimming, or playing with a toy, to both meet your requirements.

Depending on your dog's breed and activity level, exercising together could save you time if you combine your cardio and your dog's cardio into the same time slot. It also allows you to bond with your BFF and make some new memories. Plus, you'll lower or even eliminate the risk of boredom-related destructive behavior while enhancing your dog's quality of life. These genius ways to include your pup in your cardio sessions are sure to make you both happy and fit.

Most dog owners make an effort to include a walk with their canine companion at least once a day, if possible, so why not convert those walks into intentional workout sessions? If you can run, consider amping up your speed for some of those sessions, or at least parts of them. In 30 minutes, you could cover over a mile if you walk, depending on your pace and the number of stops you make. If you run, you could double that distance, and of course, burn more calories. Your pet might appreciate the extra speed if it's one of the top 10 most active dog breeds.

You and your pup can rack up some miles — or yards — around your neighborhood or hit the nearest wooded trail for a day hike. Remember to bring enough water for you both (and a bowl for your dog) if you think you'll be away from home for a while, or if it's a hot day. For a hike, add some healthy snacks to your backpack, and stop for a picnic along the way. Just be sure your dog is updated on its flea and tick preventives, and don't forget the bug spray for yourself.

Millions of dog lovers tune in every year for the AKC National Agility Championship. If you've only experienced canine agility as a viewer on your living room sofa, and you have a healthy, high-energy dog, consider starting an agility training program together at home. You'll need a fenced-in yard or any other safe training environment, some time and patience, and of course, the equipment.

You can buy agility equipment online at Chewy, Amazon, and other online retailers, or you can make your own. Common equipment includes open tunnels, bar jumps, tire jumps, and weave poles. Your dog will need to have basic obedience skills before it can get started. When it's mastered the basics, grab your running shoes; as the handler, you'll need to run with your dog to train it to go through the obstacles.

With training several times a week, you'll both be getting hundreds of steps in and burning hundreds of calories every week. You don't have to run at the same speed, though, so keep that in mind and don't let your pup's high running speed discourage you from starting agility training.

Although not all dogs like to swim, if yours does, you can spend some time in your backyard pool together and make the sessions part of your workout routine. You can do some medley swimming and switch up the stroke with each lap, tread water for as long as you can, or do jumping jacks at the shallow end, to name a few examples. Just be sure you keep an eye on your dog to be sure it doesn't need assistance. You can also give it a life jacket, like this Outward Hound Dog Life Jacket, or some other flotation device made for dogs for some added peace of mind.

Of course, your dog's swimming activities won't mirror yours — although it'd be pretty neat to see a dog doing the backstroke — but your pup will still get plenty of stimulation and exercise, and have fun doing it. To give your dog an added challenge, gather up some pool-friendly toys (ones that will float) and throw one in the pool while your dog is on land and see if it will jump in after it.

While you and your furry friend will likely enjoy every second of your pool time together, keep in mind that it might tire sooner than you. Or, your pup might just want to end the swimming after 10 or 15 minutes for another reason, even if you can last much longer. Always pay attention to body language so you'll know when it's time to end your dog's pool time.

If you want to exercise with your dog without having to move your legs a lot, focus on your upper body instead with a game of fetch. Fetch is one of the best mental exercises for dogs, and of course, it gets their legs moving, too. You, on the other hand, can play fetch while seated on your patio sofa or standing in your backyard. Find your dog's favorite fetch toy and chuck it across the room or yard.

The best fetch toys for dogs are the ones that activate your dog's natural drive to chase and can travel far and fast. That means it could be a ball, frisbee, stick, rope toy, or a similar toy. Of course, there's no reason you can't use multiple toys. This could give your dog some added mental stimulation and keep the game interesting for it.

Repeatedly throwing a toy won't strengthen your muscles the way resistance training will, but it can still engage multiple muscles if you throw it explosively. Throwing is a form of ballistic training, which can enhance muscular coordination. Try switching arms after every few throws to work your muscles equally. You can also challenge yourself by aiming to throw the toy a little farther each time, which will also challenge your dog, forcing it to cover more ground to get the toy.

To target other muscles in your body while playing fetch with your canine companion, add in a circuit training routine. If you're not familiar with this type of training, it's a full-body high-intensity interval training workout that involves doing a series of exercises with minimal rest between each exercise. It combines both endurance and resistance training.

Create your own workouts or follow a video online. In addition to dumbbells or any other equipment you plan to use, have several of your dog's toys within arm's reach. After each exercise — or during, if you can — throw one of the toys across the room for your dog to fetch. While you wait for it to retrieve the toy, challenge yourself to complete a certain number of quality reps before it returns to you.

Here's an example of what a segment of your circuit training workouts could look like between each toy toss: 10+ body weight squats, 10+ push-ups, 10+ bicep curls, 10+ crunches, 10+ jumping jacks, etc. If you do your circuit training outdoors, it will allow you to throw the toys farther so you can have a couple more seconds to do each exercise. Your dog might be a bit confused about all the movements you make, but it will quickly shift its attention back to the toy once it launches through the air. From hikes to swimming, fetch, and everything in between, finding a workout that you and your dog both enjoy can help you stay in shape together.