Home workouts with your pupper – Pup Pilates and Doga are the latest exercise trends!

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For dedicated gym bunnies and yoga enthusiasts, lockdown could have been a disaster but instead, it’s opened up a whole new world of opportunities. Gyms and studios may have closed but a large portion of the exercise and wellness industry has moved online and into your home. And guess who else is in your home and desperate to get a piece of the action?

Yes, fur babies all over the country are getting stuck in and taking part in the latest exercise crazes. If you aren’t doing Pup Pilates or Doga with your pooch right now you are both seriously missing out!

Yoga with dogs – Doga

If you are more familiar with ‘Stay’ than ‘Namastay’, you may feel a bit sceptical about dog yoga but this is the ideal time to try things that you may not have considered before. Yoga is nothing new, it has been around for thousands of years and there are several animal references in the poses including the infamous ‘downward dog’!

Doga is a more recent arrival on the scene but its popularity is growing, and the benefits are clear for you and your pooch. Yoga is all about healing both the spirit and the body and we all need a bit of this right now. As you and your dog focus on being ‘present’ you inevitably tune in to each other’s emotions at a deeper level and strengthen your bond. It is a gentle alternative to playing fetch or chase games when your energy levels are low. Doga is also very relaxing for when you are feeling tense. You can tune into online Doga classes or have a go at some of the classic poses yourself when it fits into your routine.

"Doga is the scared union between dog and owner."

Mahny Djahanguiri, Doga Mahny, believes that Doga works on the natural symbiotic relationship that already exist between you and your dog. “If there’s stress and tension in YOU, your dog may feel it and absorb your tension… this may reflect in his immediate environment and the way he socialises we other dogs”.

Pup Pilates and Woofie Workouts

Pup pilates or ‘Pupilates’ is an alternative exercise approach that both you and your furball can try out at home. It is possible to adapt most Pilates and work-out moves so that they can include your dog. Fur babies can add some extra weight to your push-ups, planks, or squats giving your triceps, glutes, and thighs a stronger workout. The heavier your dog, the stronger the workout but with an average Pug weighing 6-8 kg this is spot-on for glute workouts. Obviously don’t try this with a Great Dane or a Newfoundland because you are both going to get hurt!

"A wonderful thing about dogs is that they make fantastic exercise partners."

Other pups may not be content to simply act as a furry kettlebell and see themselves more as your Personal Trainer! These guys can help out with workout moves like the ‘Plank Pooch Pass’ where you use one hand to hold your pup’s favourite toy and move it across and in-front of your body so that your pooch chases it. You repeat this five times and then do the same with your right hand. Other options are the pup push up and the roll over extension.

Whichever exercise you do with your fur baby – stay safe and enjoy this special time together.