The Apalachee Golden Retrievers (Horseheads, New York) : See how dogs can help kids!

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See how dogs can help kids!

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:34

The Benefits of Dog Walking

As a fitness activity, walking the dog is ideal for children. Depending on their age and where they'll be walking the dog, you may need to accompany them on walks to ensure they're safe and are able to handle the dog properly. Walking is low-impact and one of the safest forms of aerobic exercise for children. It can help them improve their overall physical fitness, boost their cardiovascular system and it's unlikely they'll suffer any strains or injuries.

Some of the other benefits of walking for children include:

It helps them firm and tone muscles.
It helps burn stored fat, which in turns helps reduce weight.
It helps them develop strong bone growth.
It helps them acquire good posture.
It helps reduce the risk of heart disease later in life.
It often increases confidence and self-esteem.
It gets them outside! Away from video games!

But it's not just children that benefit from the added fitness - parents do too! If you have to accompany your child on walks, not only you'll gain the benefit of exercise too, but you also will spend more time with your child as well! And just having a dog around often adds more activity into your life, as there's lots to do.

With younger children, you could use walking the dog as a way of encouraging them to walk to school or to the shops, rather than taking the car. You can go with them and, when you've reached the school gates, return home with the dog. Your children will remember that for the rest of their lives, how nice is that?

Dogs make lovely pets, so if you're considering new ways of helping all the family get fit, why not give it a try?