Dog owners beat gym goers in exercise

In a survey of 5000 people including 3000 dog-owners, researchers found that animal lovers get more exercise walking their pets compared to those who sweat out in the gym.

A spokesperson for pet health care expert Bob Martin said, "A couple of short walks a day soon adds up and this research shows that it amounts to more time than people spend in the gym."

"And whilst gym-goers exercise inside an air-conditioned gym, dog walkers are able to rack up the miles and enjoy fresh air whilst admiring the Great British countryside," he added.

Time spent by pet and non-pet owners
Researchers noted that the dog owners exercise their pet twice a day for at least 24 minutes each time, which makes it a total of five hours and 38 minutes a week.

Furthermore, the pet lovers take out their dogs on three long walks each day, which adds more hours in the total physical activity.

In comparison, the non-pet owners spend only one hour and 20 minutes per week exercising by either going to a gym or undertaking other physical activities such as jogging etc.

On top of that, 47 percent of those who don’t own a pet don’t spend time in any sort of physical activity.

Walking the dog found as the best way to stay fit
Findings of the survey revealed nearly 57 percent of the participants considered walking their pets as an important form of physical activity.

Out of the total, 86 percent of the people enjoyed taking their dogs on a walk while only 22 percent of the participants considered it as a daily chore.

On the other hand, 70 percent of the respondents admitted seeing gym exercise as a daily mandate while only 16 percent said that they enjoyed working out in a gym.

Researchers also noted that 60 percent of the dog lovers said that they preferred going on a walk with their pets even when it meant less time with a loved one.

Overall, the researchers concluded that walking with the pets encourages regular exercise among the dog owners.

"With increasing focus on leading an active healthy lifestyle it seems that owning a dog makes us more healthy," the Bob Martin spokesperson said. "The Government recommends 30 minutes of moderate cardio vascular exercise 3-5 times per week and it's encouraging to see that dog walkers are exceeding this target and enjoying it at the same time."