There are many benefits to having a dog at home. Dogs are, after all, great companions if you’re ever lonely because they’re loving. Also, aside from being man’s best friend, a dog can be your very own personal security guard or hunting partner. But did you know that keeping a dog at home can also help you lose weight?

Surprised?

Well, according Tara Parker-Pope, who writes for the NYTimes’ Well Section, if you’re looking to lose some poundage, having your very own pup is much better than running on treadmill (providing, of course, that you’re not allergic to dogs).

In the article Forget the Treadmill. Get a Dog, Ms. Parker-Pope relates that studies have shown that older people are more likely to take regular walks if they have dogs because their furry friends will always need to be walked so they get some exercise too. She also cites findings from researchers from Michigan State University that dog owners got at an average of 30 minutes of exercise about 5 times a week while those without canine companions hardly get as much exercise.

The study, led by Dr. Matthew Reeves also brought forth an important question: does dog walking add to the amount of exercise you do, or does it merely replace the exercise you would have done if you didn’t have a dog?

It turns out that dog walkers tend to take part in other physical activities for leisure (say, playing sports or gardening) and they got about 30 minutes/week more exercise than people without dogs.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that having a dog means that you’ll being doing the walking. Some people have large enough yards for their dogs to run free, while other people need to hire dog walkers for various reasons.

Still, it should be noted that another study found that people who acquired dogs were able to increase their physical activity compared to before they brought their dog’s home.

Another interesting result of yet another research project done at the University of Missouri is that most people who walked with dogs were likely to get more exercise than those who walked with human companions. Why? Simply because humans could talk each other out of tiring exercise while dogs don’t.

Dr. Johnson who led the study says that people “help themselves by helping the dog.” Basically, Johnson continues, “If we’re committed to a dog, it enables us to commit to physical activity ourselves.”

Now isn’t that better motivation for getting a work out?

To learn more about how owning a dog can help you get more fit, read Forget the Treadmill. Get a Dog by Tamara Parker-Pope at NYTimes.com. You can also find more fitness and workout tips at the Well Section.

It is inevitable to despise exercise though there are few who like to sweat and to workout a lot. The idea of exercising seems to be an obligation and a task which we oftentimes try to resist.

We continue to cultivate this notion in our mind. Perhaps one of the reason to blame is we are doing exercises which make us unhappy. Hence, exercising becomes a daunting task to perform.

If you are starting your journey towards fitness, it is recommended to read the article in BBC Health entitled “Finding the right exercise”. Find exercise activities that make you happy because this will help you to continue exercising with gusto.

Check the list of activities and sports mentioned in the article, to find exciting and encouraging workout activities.

By Julie Brealy

Most of the effective fat burning workouts are made up of cardiovascular exercises. These are continuous activities that involve all major muscle groups in your body. Fat burning exercises are great for fitness especially if you are aiming to lose weight. It burns more calories from fats and at a higher percentage.

There are so many easy fat burning exercises that you can do it yourself and with minimal requirements. However, before choosing the type of fat burning exercise that you wish to perform, it is important to consider an activity which you really enjoy. It makes exercising more fun and away from the notion of monotonous routine.

Here are easy do it yourself fat burning exercises.

Walking. Perhaps this is one of the simplest yet effective form of cardiovascular exercise. It does not require any special equipment or trainings. Walking only for 30 minutes can burn 180 calories. But if you want to make the most of this exercise, try to jog in between, brisk walk or walk your way up to the hill, and do not forget to swing your hands as you walk. Performing this burns more calories.

Swimming. It is known to be one of the best exercises because all your body parts - your legs, arms, neck and lungs - are moving all at the same time. It is also a great way to build muscles as water creates more resistance hence you exert more effort in your arms while swimming. Swimming in freestyle stroke for an hour burns 470 calories.

Read more…

It is an interesting (and surprising) piece to read the article of Gina Kolata in New York Times. All the time we practice this school of thought that it is necessary to cool down after exercising.

However, it is cited in the article ‘Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?’ that this particular subject is in fact understudied. There is no exact process on how to cool down or a concrete rationale as why it is necessary to cool down after exercising but there is one possible risk, a fact that is agreed by exercise researchers.

When we exercise, our heart beats faster and our blood vessels in our legs expand to send more blood to our feet and legs. A sudden stop in any exercise activity will result to slow heart beat and pool of blood in your legs and feet. This is the reason that sometimes you feel dizzy or even pass out after you suddenly stop from an intensive exercise.

Actually, those people who undergo intensive exercise such as athletes are likely to suffer from this because their bodies are conditioned with trainings and exercises. As a result, their heart rate is slow and if they abruptly stop from a physically rigorous exercise, the heart’s slowing down process is faster.

This information is really opposite to what we have been thought and practicing; nonetheless, there is no harm to do a cool-down after your exercise.

Read the full article, ‘Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary?‘ from NYTimes.com - Fitness and Nutrition.

Have you been struck with boredom in your exercise regime? Running alone in the neighborhood park can be a solitary experience and there is a risk that your motivation level to get up and to continue jogging will plummet.

In The New York Times article ‘To Train Harder, Consider a Crowd’, writer Gina Kolata discovers that group training can be an enormous motivating factor that leads runners to perform better.

Though there is still a lack of solid scientific explanation that backs up this theory, it is evidently effective to the marathon runners that had been featured in the article. More athletes nowadays are considering to train with the group as it is deemed to help them tremendously.

If you are struggling to keep your morning exercise, try to exercise with your buddies. Experiment it in yourself. Look for an exercise buddy or group in your local community and after a month, evaluate how it affected you? Are you more motivated since you join the group? Are you exercising now with fun and anticipate your exercise time with more enthusiasm because exercising with your buddies now becomes a socialization activity.

Sometimes thinking out of the box keeps us sane and motivated in our pursuit in life such as aiming to live a healthy lifestyle. It is always great to hang out with people who share the same values as you do and start it by keeping an exercise buddy.

Read the full article, ‘To Train Harder, Consider a Crowd‘ from NY Times -Fitness & Nutrition.