The Role of Exercise in a Happy and Healthy Pet’s Life

The Role of Exercise in a Happy and Healthy Pet’s Life

We have heard that happiness is living a healthy life. It is also applicable in case of pets and being a pet owner, the health of our pet has to be our first preference.  Exercise plays an essential role in a happy and healthy pet’s lifestyle. In this Blog, we will discuss the fundamentals of daily exercise in our pet’s routine.

Benefits of Daily Exercises in your Pet’s Life:

Daily exercise has so many physical and mental benefits in your pet’s life and some of them have been listed below:

• Exercise makes your pet energetic and active.
• Your pet will not get obese and maintain a healthy weight.
• It helps your pet overcome many discomforts and diseases, such as constipation.
• Regular exercise is also important for your senior / aging pets, but they become less active so you have to manage their exercise routine according to their condition.
• Daily exercise is beneficial for your pet in many ways, such as healthy lungs, strong joints and bones, healthy muscles, controlled blood pressure and heart rate balance.
• Exercise helps your pet release endorphin hormones that help to manage anxiety, stress and depression and relaxes the pet.
• Exercise triggers the dopamine hormone that makes your pet feel motivated and happy.

Pet’s Exercise Benefits for Pet Owners / Caretakers:

In the digital era, hectic work routines have become a part of everyone’s lives and mostly people spend hours sitting and working on their laptops; which causes them to become less active and unhealthy. Being a pet owner, by providing daily exercises you are not only giving a healthy treat to your furry friend but are also benefiting yourself.

• Exercise routine with a pet helps in maintaining your blood pressure.
• It is beneficial for pet owners that are heart patients; as exercising helps them recover.
• Pet motivates you to go for a daily walk, especially dogs because they require daily exercise. Your furry friend encourages you and becomes your daily workout partner.
• Daily Exercise routine with your pets also helps you to overcome stress and anxiety.
• Most elders and children in our family do not easily get motivated to go out and walk; owning a pet will be helpful in this situation as while spending exercise time with a pet, they will automatically get involved.

Enrich Pet and Owner Relationship:

Daily exercise will help the owner to build a good relationship with the pet. Spending quality time outdoors and playing your pet’s favorite games indoors will bring you closer and you will understand your pet’s activities and preferences.  The pet will show more affection towards the owner, as it has a great sense of recognizing pure feelings and loyalty.

Pet’s Behavioral Problems and Role of Exercise:

Pet owners may notice some behavioral changes in their dog / cat routine, such as:

• Sudden sprinting / Zooming.
• Violent Chewing.
• Unnecessarily Barking.
• Chattering or chirping.

This might be because your pets have faced boredom for a long time and these reactions are a sign of frustration. Mainly sprinting, where you notice your cat or dog sitting calmly in one place and suddenly start running all over the house because they feel energetic and require movement. By providing them with proper exercises you can get rid of such behaviors, most of the time. However, in case you observe routine behavioral issues, then the pet might be suffering from anxiety or some other health issues. In that case, consult a professional Pet Behavior Specialist.

Consideration of Pets Exercises:

The following things should be considered before exercising your pet:

• Don’t impose fast-running immediately or do not try so many exercises in the beginning because your pet is not used to it; give them some time.
• Prioritize your pet’s likes and dislikes; every pet has different interests and enjoys different activities, so always read your pet’s interest.
• Try to add new exercises and interactive toys to your pet’s daily routines and note their responses.
• Changing the environment is also effective; try different playgrounds and parks in the outdoors, or different areas in the house while being indoors.
• Do not skip; we humans sometimes skip gyms and healthy routine exercises, however, when it comes to your pet’s lifestyle, do not skip their exercises and give them ethical routine workouts.
• The last and most important point is to consult a vet before starting any new exercise and understand your pet’s physical health. It will help you understand the physical situation and activity level of your pet.

Which Exercise Do We Add to Our Pet’s Daily Routine?

Every cat or dog has a different breed, lifestyle, health condition, history and interests, therefore choose their workout routine accordingly. Some exercise suggestions for pets are given below:

• A daily walk is important for your pet either outdoors or indoors, as it will make it active.
• Some breeds are hyperactive and need extra workouts, such as Border Collies or Huskies. In such cases observe your pet’s routine and increase or decrease the intensity of the workout accordingly.
• Interactive toys are the best for indoor exercise. If you own a cat and they like climbing, get a toy tree or tower, as it is good for the muscle’s health.
• Puzzle toys are best for your pet’s mental health; solving the puzzles grabs their attention and sharpens their memory.
• Different Pet equipment can be used in exercising according to your pet’s requirements, such as swimming gear, treadmills, leashes and collars.

Outdoor Exercise Helps Your Pets in Socializing:

Many pets suffer from separation anxiety. Taking your dog or cat outdoors helps them socialize and make new friends. The exercise time of your feline friends and canine companions gets more enjoyable, along with fellow buddies. Regular exercise has a really good impact on your pet’s physical and mental health. It also helps pets in coping up with their behavioral issues. With a complete exercise routine according to your pet’s age, health and breed you can provide it with a happy and healthy lifestyle.