[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsbudbdVHw0]

While not all pets are as “talented” as the one pictured in this video, it is clear that pets (especially dogs) help us to keep fit. It is difficult to find a more willing, available and awesome exercise partner than my fabulous dog, Max. He’s definitely getting a little grey about the muzzle and long in the tooth. But all I have to do is say the word “walk” and he nearly loses his little doggy mind with excitement. In fact, we use the phrase, “start the countdown” in our household to indicate the microscopic amount of time between saying the word “walk” and Max going crazy. So it’s pretty typical for my husband and I to ask each other questions like, “Got the leash? Got your keys? Are we ready to start the countdown?” We’ve learned to do this because it’s pretty hard to put on a coat and seek earnestly for your keys when you have a critter pulling on the leash and generally causing absolute mayhem in his urgency to get OUTSIDE.

Maybe we could all learn something from Max. Wouldn’t it be great if we all felt that level of excitement over exercise? Even when we’re older and our hips don’t work so well, regardless of the weather and what else is on our schedule, wouldn’t it be great to feel that worked up about working out? All I can say is, I’m working on it.

Love,
The Fat Chick