A walking plan for you to follow with your dog –

Turning daily walks with your dog into power workouts is a fun and effective way to get in shape. “Together, you lose weight, improve your cardiovascular capacity, gain disposition, strength and resistance and send stress away”, says physical education teacher Fabio Clemente, from São Paulo.

And the animals thank you. “Dogs that exercise lose their fear, gain security and behave better than those that live locked up. Furthermore, as with us, the physical activity it makes them sleep better”, says veterinarian José Manuel Pedreira Mouriño, from the Pet Place clinic, in São Paulo.

Psychology helps explain the success of this partnership. “It’s a form of encouragement, especially at times when there is no motivation to work out. You go because of the dog and end up doing a huge amount of good for you”, says Luis Carlos de Oliveira, from Shakes São Pauloa physical activity incentive program run by the Study Center of the São Caetano do Sul Physical Fitness Laboratory (Celafiscs) in conjunction with the São Paulo State Health Department.

It’s true: imagine coming home, with that desire to throw yourself on the sofa, and the dog barking and wagging its tail to go for a walk… There’s no way: put your laziness aside, put your sneakers on and go outside. Not to mention that working out with your pet is true therapy. “You focus your attention on the animal and on the rhythm of the exercise and divert your thoughts from the problems and tensions of everyday life”, explains psychologist Ana Maria Rossi, director of the Stress and Feedback Clinic, in Porto Alegre. And the walk even reinforces their complicity and strengthens their ties with the furry one.

But for the workout to work out, it’s essential that you know how to adapt your pace to that of the animal, especially if the daily walks until now were limited to a walk around the block. “The dog has to be trained slowly. Frequency is more important than intensity. That is, there is no point in taking him for a walk only on weekends. If he’s not used to it, he won’t be able to handle it ”, warns veterinarian José Manuel. Therefore, the order is to start with light walks in the first few weeks and only then increase the pace. Ready?

Tailored workout

The programs proposed by professor Fabio Clemente, in partnership with veterinarian José Manuel Pedreira Mouriño, were designed for healthy adult dogs that are not used to exercising frequently. Therefore, if you already hike regularly, you may have to slow down to adapt to the limitations of the animal, especially if it is small.

The ideal is to train at least three times a week, on alternate days. Once the dog is well conditioned, increase the frequency to five times a week. But remember: the intensity of the exercise depends a lot on the conditioning of each animal. So it’s best to take him to the vet for an evaluation before starting.

Training to do with small dogs

This category includes: bichon frize, french bulldog, daschund, lhasa apso, maltese, poodle, pug, shitsu, yorkshire.

FIRST MONTH – from 20 to 30 min

First and second weeks:

10 min walk + 5 min brisk walk + 5 min walk

Third and fourth weeks:

10 min walk + 10 min brisk walk + 10 min walk

SECOND AND THIRD MONTHS – 35 min

10 min walk + 10 min brisk walk + 5 min jog + 10 min walk

FOURTH AND FIFTH MONTHS – 45 min

10 min walk + 15 min brisk walk + 10 min jog + 10 min walk

FROM THE SIXTH MONTH – 60 min

10 min walk + 25 min brisk walk + 15 min jog + 10 min walk

Training to do with medium and large dogs

Are they:

medium size – beagle, border collie, english bulldog, bull terrier, cocker spaniel, paulistinha fox, shetland shepherd, pitbull, schnauzer, whippet. Large – Akita, Boxer, Dalmatian, Doberman, Golden Retriever, Siberian Husky, Labrador, German or Belgian Shepherd, Pointer, Rottweiler.

FIRST MONTH – from 20 to 30 min

First and second weeks:

10 min walk + 5 min brisk walk + 5 min walk

Third and fourth weeks:

10 min walk + 10 min brisk walk + 10 min walk

SECOND AND THIRD MONTHS – 35 min

10 min walk + 15 min jog + 10 min walk

FOURTH AND FIFTH MONTHS – 45 min

10 min walk + 25 min jog + 10 min walk

FROM THE SIXTH MONTH – 60 min

10 min walk + 40 min jog + 10 min walk

at the right pace

To regulate training intensity, learn how to assess your perceived exertion:

Walking: you walk normally and breathing is natural. Fast walking: Breathing becomes labored. Light trot: the pace is fast, almost at running pace, but you don’t feel exhausted at the end of the workout.

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with the latest news from

Keeping an eye on the animal

Pay attention to some recommendations when deciding to work out with your dog:

Always walk with him on a leash. Thus, he watches over the safety of other people and the dog himself; When exercising in parks, avoid busy days and times, such as weekends, to prevent the dog from becoming distracted by the excess of people or the presence of other animals; Pick up the animal’s poop. There are special bags for this; Keep it hydrated at all times. Take a squeeze or a bottle of water just for him; Do not walk during very sunny hours. In addition to causing dehydration, the animal can burn its paws if the asphalt is too hot; Wait two hours after eating to exercise. With a full belly, the dog may feel sick; Make sure his vaccine card is up to date, so the dog does not transmit or acquire diseases on the street.