Does walking the dog count as morning exercise?

Someone walks with dog, someone runs. So i think it's count as morning exercise. Especially, if you do exercises while you walk.

Heck yeah, it does! Ideally, your walk is brisk, and your heart rate is elevated. A dog is certainly a great motivator to get this workout happening!

Yes, but it depends on how long the walk is and how fast your walking. 30 minutes of brisk walking is fine, so is 7-15 minutes of running. (Try not to jog much as possible)

I think it depends how long. I think a slow, 15 minute walk may not count as your day's exercise, but a speedy, 30 minute walk I think does!

I think it does. You go outside, get some fresh air and sun and move of course. For light activity as a beginning I think it’s perfect, if you wanna increase the intensity in the future you can change tempo of your walking or start running with your dog. But morning is about getting you energized for the rest of the day so. I would say it’s a perfect way to do that 🙂

I walk my dogs every evening and I have a walking app that syncs with my food journal app. It counts the calories I burned, the distance and time that I walked. Most days that is my only exercise.

Is it easy for you to walk with a dog,? Part of the reason to start exercising is to start smth new and somewhat hard and continue doing so. So if walking with a dog is easy to do and you already do so every day – start something else too. Otherwise it's ok.

I think that walking your dog is a great way to excercise. It’s always nice to be outside in the fresh air. You also get to spend time with your dog which is always nice and makes me happy 🙂

Yes of course! Also, I could have never been able to start running, if I did not have the habit of walking the dog. All I needed was the amazing exercising journey (which before trying I though that it would be unbearable like others that I have tried, but it actually is urned out been much better than all the others that I have tried and way more manageable) and replacing the walking with a mix of walking and running.

Absolutely! Especially if you have a dog prone to pulling on the leash, you will get an upper body and core work out as a bonus 😃

I would say so, absolutely, though it depends on how far you walk, I suppose. If you only go around the block, then maybe not so much, unless you are just starting out with creating your exercise habits, then any distance or amount of time counts, as long as you maintain consistency and then build on it. Ideally you want to try to walk at least 20 minutes at a brisk pace (barring any physical barriers to doing so, such as disease or ill-health) to get your heart-rate up. It’s good exercise for both you and the dog! Good luck!

A short, slow-speed walk is definitely very light exercise. If you want to use that as an opportunity to get in exercise, I'd say jog with your dog. As an added bonus, petting a dog has been scientifically proven to cause your brain to release stress relieving chemicals. Get that jog in and give them some love!

~Alice

Objectively, I'd say no. But that's not to say that I haven't occasionally used the morning dog walk as my exercise for the day, if I know I won't be able to fit in a real workout that day. I wouldn't make it a habit though 🙂

Good for the dog, good for you. This exercise is more than just physical.. Enhances your mind and brings you closer to your pet 🙂

Of course!! I always look at my morning exercise as more of a mental activity. Clear you mind to focus on yourself for a few minutes, get some fresh air and start the day on the right foot. (Pun intended)

I think so! Depends if you’re truly walking or just going outside quickly to let the dog do their business and then you go straight back inside.

To me, the answer is yes. Not only are you with your best friend, you are also enjoying what nature has to offer, air , sunshine or rain and its lasting results, green grass, tress and flowers. It’s not just exercising for the both of you but it is also communion with nature.

I think it depends on your dog and on your own physical condition. My dogs are big and older and very laid back, so walking with them is more like a stroll with several sniffing and peeing stops, it does not bring my heart rate up, so I don’t count it as an exercise. But if you have a high energy dog and can take more like a power walk, than yes, absolutely.

I don’t think it counts as an actual exercise but it is a good warm-up! If you don’t feel like exercising in the morning then it’s always better to go for a walk with your dog instead of doing nothing. Also you can exercise in the evening pretty well 😉

Heck yeah! At least to build the habit, which is huge. Might not be as intense as a sweat workout but still a good habit to instill. Later on as it becomes a regular thing you can switch it out for something more intense every now and then.