Earlier in the week I discussed how important physical activity is in keeping fit as it is a big determinant of ones overall health. Whilst we all know that exercise is good for us in our modern lifestyles it is difficult to keep up. I know several people who like me seem to exercise regularly for several months then miss an initial couple of weeks and then before you know it know it half the year has gone.
I am always interested in not only what we should be doing, but also in ways that help us to do the things that we would ideally like to be able to do. So I was very interested to read a report of a study in the New York Times health which reports on a group of older people living in an assisted living home who were given either the opportunity to walk with a spouse or friend on a route close to the home or alternatively to walk a stray dog which they had to get on a bus to pick up.
Those that offered to walk the dogs had the overall speed of walking increase during the twelve weeks and even more positively some stopped using canes and walkers.
Whilst this was not a randomised trial it does suggest that there must be lots of ways that different people might respond to exercise we just have to be inventive to find them and then make it easy for them to use them.
I have often though that a public park could have kennels right next door and finance the kennels by offering dogs for rent to take around the park!
I know the Cayman Islands Humane Society have dogs that need walking
Let me know any ideas you have or may have heard about.
This is one way to increase the number of people walking up stairs.