How Investing In Facilities For Dog Owners Could Help Fight Obesity

According to a study by the University of Liverpool investing in facilities for dog owners may help to tackle physical inactivity in people who own dogs. With almost a quarter of UK households owning a dog, it's estimated that 40% of owners don't walk their dogs and less than 50% of UK adults manage to perform the government's recommended 2.5 hours of exercise a week. The study found that those who didn't live near a good quality area, where their dogs could be let off their leads and have access to dog waste bins, were less likely to walk their dogs. Also a lot of owners were unsure how much exercise their dogs even needed. Leading this study, Dr Carri Westgarth said, "with such a large proportion of people having a dog, it seems that better education, facilities and improved relationships with our pets could be a great way for a large portion of the population to feel encouraged to exercise." Lindsay Johnson from Cani-fit, whose company provides professional exercise training for both dogs and their owners said, "trail running is fantastic for fitness and strength and as a result of exercising with their dog, a strong bond forms-stronger than owners have seen before."