| kailey.vilches |
|
| Fresher |
 |
Joined: 2010-11-16 08:39:51
Posts: 8
Location: Germany |
|
|
|
Let’s face it, women have a harder time then men staying fit and in shape. It seems sometimes that our bodies are designed to store fat where we don’t want them to. I have a fitness plan that will blow away anything else you’re maybe reading from stylish magazines.
The reason you won’t find this anywhere else is that it will work! No other publisher will print a plan that actually works because then you won’t remain an ever desperate and loyal customer. The answer … get a dog! Better yet, get a puppy.
The puppy can be a mutt or a pure-bred as long as it comes from a high energy stock. In choosing the right breed look at energy, endurance and outdoor sporting capabilities. Usually this means medium to large breed dogs but there are a few small dogs that can hang with the big dogs. One example in this is the Jack Terrier. It’s pretty easy to do the research on the web because there are so many websites designed to give profiles for breeds. Again, if you want to adopt a mutt, look at what dominate breeds the dog comes from.
It’s important to choose a dog that requires you to go on long walks, runs, jogs, hikes.. etc. The more demanding the dog’s needs are the better off your fitness will be.
Personally I just got a 10 week old Weimaraner puppy. To tell you a little bit about my situation I’ll begin, I am an American living in Germany. I’ve been over here sense 2008 and have at least one more year that I have to stay. It has been hard on me to adjust to living in this environment. I am from South TX. I was raised with plenty of sun shine and the Gulf Coast. Living in high altitude with limited sun-light year round and damp cold weather has had a bad effect on my overall health. I have suffered from mild situational depression, very significant loss in energy levels and consequently I have gained about 20lbs over the past year. All of this has been completely out of character for me. Before coming to Germany, I was in the best shape of my life. I’m only mildly over-weight now but if things continue in this pattern, I’m looking at some significant health problems. In realizing this, the idea came to me to get a dog.
When I began my search for a dog I started first by looking at all high energy/ high endurance breeds. I looked at the pros and cons from all angels. For instance, the Lab is one of the most popular family dogs for many reasons. It’s easy going, mild tempered, easy to train… etc. However, I found that while they do fit into the category of high energy/ high endurance breeds, they also are prone to do whatever their human does. Hence, if you are a couch potato then a Lab will be content to lay around the house with you. Just so long as they are with their human, they are happy. When I realized they tend to have weight issues because of this, I decided the Lab was not for me. Reason being, if I started to slip and loose motivation, the dog wouldn’t mind and its demands wouldn’t push me. That is when I started looking at hunting dogs and specifically pointers.
I remembered that I had a friend in college who had a Weimaraner. Once, when I had complimented her on her dog, she told me how demanding it was and how because it was a hunting dog it required so much exercise, reinforced discipline and close companionship with its human. I want to emphasis at this time that I did NOT set out to get a Weimaraner. Like my friend said, these dogs have particularly special characters. So I began looking at all the pointers and hunting dogs. I took grooming and size into consideration because of my allergies and living condition but I mostly looked for a running mate that would push me and require me to get back my discipline for physical endurance and my lust for life.
Why the Weimaraner? A bit of fate had a play in it but I also fell in love with the character of the breed when I researched it. Weims are particularly demanding in terms of physical vigor and sport. They actually become quite crazy and destructive if their athletic stamina is not worked out and their minds are not challenged. These dogs require firm discipline but they are incredibly sensitive so you have to be kind. My Nikkho challenges my patience in the best ways and is strengthening my character. He is clever and does not appreciate being underestimated. I can’t take short cuts with him.
The way that I found him was through a nice family, living in the countryside. This family also owned horses and other livestock. They were hobby breeders. Meaning, their pups were not for show or hunt. They raised them up with the intention of being family house pets. It was under these ideal circumstances that my Nikkho came to me.
In the short time that I have had him, my energy level has improved. I feel a zest for life coming back to me. Everything from jogging to walking or cleaning house is more fun with a dog in your life. I have been sleeping a lot better too. Even though his endurance has not reached maturity yet, it’s still great for me. One, him being a puppy, I find myself bending down and picking him up a lot. This small thing has been working out my hips and legs, which is where I store fat. Also, the little act of getting up from my desk and taking him outside to go to the bathroom has increased my calorie output.
When we jog/walk in the mornings it’s a slow pace for 30mins to 1 hr. and it’s good for me because if any of you out there have experienced weight gain and had to lose it, you are aware you have to take baby steps in getting back into shape. Short strides for long periods is good to kick-start the weight loss and to safely re-condition your mobility. I expect that by the time he is old enough for full speed runs, I will be in shape to keep up with his pace. During my lunch hour from work, I take him out for long walks for about 1hr. This alone, is great for me because I usually eat at my desk before taking him out so I am walking off the calories from lunch.
If you are a woman, whatever your living situation or whether you are single or not, you should get a dog for your health and physical fitness. Think about it single ladies. If you are un-married without kids, your life goes through cycles of being in a relationship and being out of one. What happens to you? You get skinny and hot when you are on the market but then you start getting exclusive and more serious with a guy and then what? You start finding yourself staying in more and going out less. That alone significantly drops your calorie output. You start eating more regular meals with more food because now its dinner for two. There are so many things that factor into why we women gain weight when we get hooked up with a guy and then why we lose it if there is a break up. I am not saying that a dog is a cure all but for a single woman with no kids, a dog will regulate your life. Even when you are in that new relationship, honeymoon phase, your dogs needs will still require your attention. If the man goes, the dog is still there and requires that you maintain some sort of routine.
Married woman, let’s talk. So you are thinking, I need a dog like I need a lobotomy, right? Consider this. Your family requires you to do a lot of running around and while for some this alone is enough to stay fit, for many, this stress actually triggers weight gain. Once the weight is on, you have a hard time taking it off. You can’t find enough time for yourself to get to the gym and when you eat it’s fast so that you can move on to cleaning or helping kids with getting off to bed. Am I on the right track? The thing is, we women are designed to be care givers and take care of our familiy’s needs before our own. With a dog, you will make the time to walk, jog or run because the dog needs it. Honestly, I have found that its such a de-stressing activity to take my Nikkho for walks. Even simple interaction with people on the street who think he’s cute and want to touch him, brightens me up. We humans are social creatures after all. I also enjoy seeing his curiosity and watching him figure stuff out for the first time. After our walks I am always re-energized and ready for anything I am faced with.
Bottom line, I hope my argument and testimony is strong enough. Get a dog! |
|
Last Edited On: 2010-11-18 13:12:42 By kailey.vilches for the Reason |
|
Kailey |
|
Forum