Ah, the New Year. Fresh starts, new beginnings, and resolutions. What’s yours? Lose weight? Get organized? Spend more time with your loved ones?
With the second week of the New Year drawing to a close and the third week about to begin, how are those resolutions shaping up? Are you sticking to them? If the answer is, “No,” or “Just barely,” take heart. This is about the time enthusiasm starts to wane (if it hasn’t died completely already), Real Life returns with all of its demands, and it’s very easy to find ways not to accomplish your goals.
But never fear! Resolutions don’t have to mean huge, painful life changes. On the contrary, start small, keep ‘em simple, and above all make it fun. If you approach your goals with this attitude, you’re more likely to keep them. Especially if you recruit a partner. And what better, more loving collaborator than your pet?
“Say what?” you might be thinking. It’s not as nuts as it sounds. Really. Here’s how to:
Get in Shape with Your Pet’s Help
• Got a dog? Supplement gym visits and workout routines with Rover walks.
• Too cold outside to walk? Don’t have a dog? Play indoors! Chase, tug, hide ‘n seek, anything that will get you both active and moving. (I read an article in a Woman’s World magazine about how naturally slender people tend to move on average 155 minutes more than their heavier counterparts, and that heavier people can lose weight without exercise just by moving more in their day. The trouble is, I didn’t keep the article. I don’t know if it’s 155 minutes more a day or week. But just move. Move more, move often, don’t sit or stand still. Keep that body in motion to enhance your weight loss efforts. And what better way to do it than by playing with your pet? Personally, I chase Murph because he loves that. Kitty likes to play on the stairs, so we have a game of me running up the steps to surprise him, then I run away again and repeat. Sounds crazy, but what a thigh workout!)
Get (Your Pet, At Least) Organized
• With a Wags and Whiskers Pet Organizer Book from Colorful Images. With this, pet records, licenses, exercise schedules, and emergency contact info can be stored in one handy place. (Great for pet sitters if you use them.)
• Does your dog have as many toys as a child? The Pet Toys Storage Box from Personal Creations will solve that problem, and can be personalized with your dog’s name.
• Also handy for eliminating clutter and storing everything from toys to leashes is the Over-the-Door Storage Pet Pockets.
Get in More Family Time with Your Pet’s Help
• Multitask by incorporating strategies from the above suggestions: go for a family walk with your dog, play together, and make it a game to clean up Fido’s toy and put them back in the bin, etc.
• Wind down the day by tucking everyone in, pets included, and reading a bedtime story. Pick one of your favorites, or delight your dog or cat with stories just for them from the collection of Bedtime Stories for Dogs or Bedtime Stories for Cats.
Related Articles:
Fitness with Your Pet
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Cold Outside? Stay Inside ? A Fun, Frugal Idea for Entertaining Your Kids