Is Walking The Dog Effective Exercise?

Not everyone is the gym type, but everyone should still be exercising.

Nobody knows this better than Jennifer Cohen, author of No Gym Required, who has made a living off of staying fit without spending money on a pricey gym membership.

A FitPerez reader named Heather admits she isn’t a “work-out type of girl”, but loves to walk her dog, so she asked:

“I am not really a work-out type of girl. I have a black lab and usually just walk him a lot. Whats the best way to get the most out of my walks with him, if anything?”

According to Jennifer:

Walking is GREAT exercise, keep it up! Here are some tips to get more out of it; -At the beginning of your walks, do 10 push-ups. If you’re in a park, use the pull-up bars halfway through the walk.

-Walk in a hilly area as often as possible; going up and down works different muscles in your legs.
-Bring a rockin playlist; music has been proven to keep you going faster and longer during exercise.
-Play fetch with your lab, but run alongside him after you throw the ball. You’ll both get a workout from the sprints, and he’ll love having someone to play with!
-Use wrist and ankle weights, or NGR shoes, to burn up to 50% more calories than you would burn only walking.

Got any more questions? Feel free to tweet them @JenCohenNGR and don’t forget to keep checking FitPerez.com for more great Q&A’s from some of the best trainers working in Hollywood today!