Marathon Challenge Countdown Day 7

October 23, 2014-

Time is flying.....24 days until my marathon, I cannot believe it......Just an update on how I'm doing. Okay my last run was on Sunday, yes I have been resting up the last few days as far as my running goes. Of course, there is a reason for that- during my last 22 miles my ankle started to swell up because of my sneakers being old! So I ordered some new sneakers, and gave my ankles a few days off. My ankle was unsupported for the last several miles in my sneakers and therefore also affected my hip region on that side so I am nursing my aches and pains. My sneakers shall be arriving today so I can rejoin the running community. Sometimes a few extra days of rest are necessary!

Okay so moving on to my challenge, todays exercise is the Downward Dog!

People version: You will start off on all fours in a tabletop position
Next lift one leg up while straightening it
Now lift the other leg up while straightening it as well
You should be the pose now, your legs should be straight- your butt should be up in the air, your heels should be close to the ground yet not touching the ground.

Dog Version #1:
Also called the resting Version of this (for older/ senior or handicap dogs)
Basically your dog will automatically go into this pose
They will be lying on the floor with their paws out in front of them for support with their head up

Dog Version #2:
Also called the playful Version of this (for younger more energenic dogs)
Your dog will go into this pose naturally when saying hey let's play!
You can help your dog into this pose by having a treat in your hand and showing your dog the treat while guiding their front half down while their rear is still up in the air.

 

 





Healthy Tip of the Day:

 

Proper foot protection is a must for not only you BUT your dog as well.

First you should have a good pair of sneakers or comfortable shoes to work out in.

To be honest there is a whole science of foot gear. Knowing your feet is manadatory, whether you need a neutral shoe, or a supported shoe will help those walks or runs be that much more comfortable for you.

Shoes should be replaced every 500 miles or so, of course depending on your shoe. But if you start to feel any discomfort in your feet or hips, etc.....consider replacing your shoes as soon as possible! Something I didn't do until literally the last minute of my shoes.

 

Your dogs also need foot protection.....

they have paw booties to protect your dogs paws from the elements such as extreme hot surfaces, and the opposite extreme cold surfaces. Both surfaces can harm your dogs paws.

 

So before you go out know the surface, the temperature, and that you can protect your dogs paws.

 

They also have a wax to apply to your dogs paws which in my opinion works very well, keep in mind NOT all dogs will like wearing booties on their paws and may walk funny at first as they try to get them off. So if your dog doesn't like the booties you may want to try the wax to protect their paws.

 

Paw Booties



Paw Guard/ Wax

 



Just a reminder not to forget to check out my book:

www.doggonehealthychoices.com/bookoffer

 

 

Marathon Countdown Day 6

October 22, 2014-

Today is Wednesday and today's exercise is a Pilates move called the Leg Circle.....

Human version: Lie on your back with your legs straight out
Lift one leg straight up and make a circle with that leg (start making smaller circles and work your way up to larger circles)
After you do 5-10 reps, lower your leg
Repeat on other side


Dog Version: Have your dog lie on their back
Help your dog as they make circles with their legs in the air, start with one leg and smaller circles- again working to larger circles in time.
Release the one leg and Repeat on the other leg.

 

Today's healthy tip:

 

When it's cold and wet outside, and your dog wants to stay warm and dry inside- make bathroom breaks quick and find some indoor activities to engage in with your dog. Do some pupilates or Doga.....or if you can play a game of fetch indoors....what about a game of tug?!?!? These activities will keep both you and your dog stimulated and active while it's wet and cold and you can resume outdoor activities tomorrow!



Marathon Countdown Day 5

October 21, 2014-

Today's exercise is the Toe Dip! We will be doing the Human and Dog versions as well today!

Human version:
Lie on your back
Bring your legs up at a table top position
Take one leg keeping it bent, lower it to the floor as if your dipping it in a bucket of water (do not touch the floor), to make it more difficult dip both toes at one time!
And return the leg to the tabletop position
Repeat with the other leg

 

 

 



Dog Version:
Have your dog lie on their back
Help your dog out with this one, and hold their legs as you help them dip their paws in the water!.....
Take one leg, lower it to the floor (without touching the floor), and return back to where you started from.
Repeat with the other leg.
Once again, to make it more difficult try both legs at one time!

 

Healthy Tip of the Day:

 

Just like you brush your hair to keep it healthy and shiny. Brush your dogs hair,  daily it will keep your dogs coat nice, and shiny, and healthy. And it will prevent fur from collecting throughout the house. Which can reduce the amount of dander in your house which leads to allergies and such. Also the brushing can lead to lower blood pressure! AND further bonding experience with your dog!

Marathon Countdown Day 4

October 20, 2014-

Today's exercise is a pilates move, called the 100. We will be doing this pose for people and for dogs!

For people:
Lie on your back with your legs bent and your arms straight out at your side.
Lift your head and shoulders up and towards your core, hold them up while doing the 100.
Now quickly lift your arms up and down (not touching the floor), as quickly as you can as well, for 100 times.
Once you are finished lower your arms, your head and shoulders, and come back to a sitting position.

 

 



For Dogs:
Have your dog lie or sit by your side or in front of you.
Now have them give you their paw, release their paw.
Repeat on the other side.
Hint- You can train your dog to give paw easily with a treat.
If needed at first, help your dog out by putting their paw in your hand as you say "PAW" or  "HIGH FIVE"
And you can do 100 or 50 with the right paw/ 50 with the left paw with your dog.
And there you have the 100 with your dog!

Countdown to Marathon Challenge Day 3 of 30

October 19, 2014-

Sunday is a day of rest usually and relaxation so I thought a day of meditation was an order. So why not join us in a dog assisted calming meditation.

 

Skyler and I really hoped you liked joining us for a short meditation and hope you take it to new levels to become more grounded and calm in your daily life! You can meditate whenever and wherever you want.

 

How to meditate:

First find a quiet place to mediate, a place preferably with no distractions. No TV, no radio, no people talking, nothing to distract you at all.

 

Second, sit or lie down in a comfortable position, and get your dog sitting or lying right next to you (this can be KEY to really keeping calm!)

 

Third, and this is optional but something that could help keep your mind off the time factor. Set your timer to amount of time you want to mediate for. Got it set?....Good now that's one less thing to clutter up the mind!

 

Fourth, place one hand on your dog and the other hand on your heart (if you have two dogs- you can place one hand on each dog). During your mediation, you can keep your hand on your dog in one place or continuously pet your dog (this can be extra calming for your heart rate).

 

Now just remember to breathe......take a deep breathe in through the nose, hold it a second, and let it out through the mouth. Think of breathing in the good air and exhaling the bad air! Cleansing isn't it?!?!?

 

Healthy Tip of the Day- Just as you read the ingredients on your food, READ the LABELS on your dogs food.....is Sugar one of their first ingredients-hhmmmm that's not good! Make sure you can pronounce most if not ALL the ingredients in their food as well!

 

Marathon Countdown Challenge Day 3 of 30

October 19, 2014-
Welcome to Day Three of my Marathon Countdown Challenge today I took part in a 6 hour run. The run was located in my town at Sunken Meadow State Park. The park is full of hilly trails on one side and the beach on the other. Anyhow, to ease my mind and put relax the excited state of mind my 22 miles put me in (I didn't do the whole 6 hours, as I had a set training schedule!)Anyway, I decided to share with you a Doga practice that ANYONE can do with their dog! MEDIATION!

Meditation- there are many types of meditation but this one is a calming meditation and simple to do. Here is how: Basically just find a quiet place to sit with your dog, the quieter the better. NO DISTRACTIONS! Find a quiet spot? Great! Now just sit comfortably with your dog, sit up tall and have your dog by your side. Now, you can have one hand on your heart and the other hand on your dog, lightly stroking your pets fur, which will help with calming yourself and your dog! My suggestion is to have a timer with an alarm set to the time you want to meditate. Start easy maybe 1 minute, then 2 mins, then maybe 5 minutes, and so forth. Clear your mind of everything that the day has brought your way! (Not always as easy as you think!) Concentrate on being present with your dog. Take a deep cleansing breathe (in through the nose) hold it a second or two, and release blowing out all the negative air! Okay, this is a great way to start the week ahead.....starting with a cleansed slate! Ya ready to start the week now?!?!?

Skyler and myself meditating.

 

Oh if you have more than one dog, you can put one hand on each dog. If you have more than two dogs, invest in some more hands- LOL! Just kidding! It just means more time spent mediating is necessary to calm all in the household!



Your healthy tip of the day: Keep a food and lifestyle journal. Write down what you eat and how you feel. For women write down your cycle.  Write down your activites like any running, walking, any workouts you do. Also remember to jot down how you feel before, during, and after your workouts. Also you may want to keep a journal of your sneakers to keep track of how many miles you have on them because after so many miles you should invest in a new pair of sneakers, I mention this because it is time for myself to invest in a new pair!

30 Days to my Marathon Pupilates/Doga Challenge.......

October. 17, 2014- For my last 30 days until my marathon I have decided to add at least one new exercise into the training mode. From today until November 16th, 2014, I will be adding one pupilates or doga move/ pose into the mix. And not only that but I will be sharing it with you! To add to things I will be adding a healthy tip for you and your dog each day. So sit, and stay and tune in daily for my blogs and vlogs to help both you, me and our dogs to greater health and happiness. Added BONUS- you will get some bonding time with your dog or dogs as well!



Oh and check out my new book at www.doggonehealthychoices.com/bookoffer or through Amazon or Createspace. For more on living that healthy and happy lifestyle with your dog!




Today's exercise is a Pupilates move called the Look and Twist!

Human exercise: Basically you will sit or kneel and look forward, take a deep breathe in through the nose and then look to the left exhaling through the nose.....then look forward and repeat on the other side!

Dog Exercise: Have your dog sit and look forward, and bring their attention to the left as they look over their shoulder, and then forward and repeating on the other side. This is also a great way to teach the command LEAVE IT!......To help the dog through the moves of this exercise or stretch, you will have a treat (or toy) in your hand and you will have the dog follow the treat or toy as you help them look left, forward, and to the right. Hey, wait a second you just accomplished two things at once here! Incredible.....You got it going on!......Oh wait, I think that was three things, you also bonded with your dog during this exercise! AMAZING JOB!

Along with my daily exercise move for today, my healthy tip for you and your dog is:
to have a meal together. Now this can be a homemade snack or a full meal together. But the act of sharing that meal is so rewarding and healthier than eating alone. And hopefully if you sit down to a meal with the rest of your family, you will include the dog in on that meal as well. Now I am not saying to have them sit at the table (on a chair and eat of the table with you), but feed your dog at the same time as the humans in the household, and let the dog sit by your feet and eat their own food- whether you opt to make it yourself or not (hopefully so).  This will also teach your dog they do not have to beg at the table as they will be eating along with you all and enjoying the company of the family while doing so! More bonding time people and pups! If you need a few recipes to get you started on cooking for you and your dog so you can all enjoy the same meal, check out my new book mentioned above for a few great recipes!

And stay tuned everyday for another exercise of the day and some more healthy tips,  in the 30 day challenge of mine until my marathon!