Fitness with your pet is fun, fulfilling, healthful, and a win-win situation. It has often been said that the companionship of a pet is good for mental health and peace of mind. To throw in the benefits of physical exercise makes it even better! A walk in the park or a frolic in the yard, mental and physical fitness can be the result. There is also something to be said about the companionship that is forged and then sustained when pets and their owners participate in activities that will improve the fitness of both. Affection and loyalty are
expressed freely, and the ‘feel good’ that emerges from such a relationship contributes to an overall sensation of well-being.
Dogs provide a great example. Many stand alert and “at the ready” for getting outside to walk, run, or to simply ‘sniff the bushes’ while the owner stops to ‘smell the roses’. Both dog and owner benefit when they are doing something that will improve their mental and physical
fitness. Walking, running, throwing and catching the Frisbee, or wading in the shallow water at the beach; these fitness activities carry with them the benefits of health and happiness.
Horses are another pet that can significantly contribute to both mental and physical fitness. Focus and concentration, not to mention the stamina and physical strength it takes to participate as a part of a horse-human team, can only lead to an increased sense of health and
self-esteem. The teamwork of riding atop a horse while walking, trotting, or cantering along generates a sense of ‘oneness’ with the animal. While the rider experiences the emotional and mental benefits of this activity, the horse is getting the much needed exercise that most if not all domesticated animals so seriously need. Again, a win-win situation.
There are many other pets for which people have unique and individual preferences. Some may participate, like the dog and horse, as a partner in a physical fitness activity. Others pets, such as cats, fish, reptiles, to name but a few, seem more patterned to provide mental and emotional well-being for their owners. It is a bit difficult to picture running and frolicking with a pet snake, for instance. Or splashing in the water with the family cat! These animals do, though, contribute to emotional and mental fitness in that they too contribute to an owners’ overall well-being. This is accomplished by providing companionship, non-judgmental partnership, and something for the pet owner to focus on outside of his- or herself.
Fitness comes in many flavors and forms, and fitness with a pet provides unique and individual pleasures for each person participating at that level with their pet. Caring for a pet will provide a sense of accomplishment and contribution. Engaging in activity with a pet will provide improved physical health for both owner and pet. Being with a pet will contribute to mental and emotional well-being. All are forms of fitness.