Today, as I took a walk with Caesar in the 60-degree misty winter, I began to think about how many miles Caesar and I have tallied up in 2019. The year is nearly over, and we still have a few days left, but I decided to add up my millage from the year so far.
Thanks to my FitBit, which I never take off, I know exactly how many miles I traveled this year, many of those with my trusty sidekick. From January 1 to December 28, 2019, I racked up 1,639.02 miles!
To put that into perspective, I could have walked from New England to Scotland twice and had a few hundred miles to spare or I could have walked Alaska from North to South and still had 200 miles left over.
My two top days throughout the year were April 27 at 10.01 miles and August 10 with 10.83 miles. Both of those days Caesar hiked with me. On the April date, Caesar and I were in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and on the August date we were in Columbus hiking.
I know others have walked more but I am proud of this total and now have a goal for 2020 – walk more! I know, however, I would not have earned this many miles without Caesar. It makes me think about how much my dog has helped me reach such an accomplishment, and I am not alone.
A study done by the University of Michigan (2011) showed that people who walk their dogs often exercise more than those who do not and are overall more active than non-dog owners and dog owners who do not walk their dogs.
“Not surprisingly, we found that dog walking contributed to a significant increase in the total amount of walking conducted per week – dog walkers walked about an hour more per week than dog owners who did not walk their dog, and about a half an hour more per week than non-dog owners,” the research states.
Most doctors (and the CDC) recommend that people get 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days a week. The study done by the University of Michigan noted that 60 percent of frequent dog walkers met this criteria.
On my walk today, I was telling my dad how much I dread going to they gym. I was thankful to have found a break in the rain to take Caesar on a walk today. Often, I run at the gym by the window closest to the road because I like to watch the people go into Walmart; that is about as entertaining as it gets at the gym. There is perhaps nothing more boring than running in-place for 30-60 minutes. However, when I am walking my dog, 60-90 minutes easily flies by.
On gym days, I average around 45 minutes of working out. It’s hard for me to make it to 60 minutes when the exercise is so dull. When I walk my dog, I typically average around 80 minutes of activity.
For staters, the scenery is better outside compared to a gym, but the main thing that makes walking with your dog so much better than working out in a gym, is the fact that you are with your best friend in the peace and quite. Not only that, but having a dog to workout with pushes you.
For the record, the average person burns around 100 calories in 30 minutes walking at 3 mph or 150 calories in 30 minutes at 4 mph. Because both of my dogs are very ambitious walkers, we average a pace of around 3.5 mph and nearly 4 mph on the way back. So there is always a pretty good workout to be had with Caesar and Jeter.
I never feel satisfied with a walk that is under 60 minutes when I am with Caesar or Jeter because I know they need more than that. When it’s just me, by myself, in a gym, I don’t feel that same motivation, and maybe you feel the same way. Maybe that is why so many people make a New Year’s Resolution to go to the gym but fall off track by the time February hits.
If you need a little motivation to stick to your New Year’s activity goals, take your dog outside and see for yourself just how both of you will benefit from walking each other. And don’t just take my word for it, check out the research below!
Reference:
Reeves, M.J., Rafferty, A.P, Miller, C.E., and Lyon-Callon, S.K.: "The Impact of Dog Walking on Leisure-Time Physical Activity: Results From a Population-Based Survey of Michigan Adults." Journal of Physical Activity and Health, (2011), Vol. 8, pp. 436-444.