Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound
I stumbled over this program while surfing, and thought it was pretty cool.
Are you looking to make a new friend or two? Help a shelter dog get some much needed exercise and fresh air while walking for better health. Columbia Parks and Recreation is teaming up with the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Columbia Second Chance and the Central Missouri Humane Society to offer a program called Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound.
Apparently, the program and studies associated with it, have been ongoing for several years now. The program was started by Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a professor of Gerontological Nursing, who is studying the impact of animal-assisted interventions on health/wellness.
Rebecca Johnson, Millsap Professor of Gerontological Nursing at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and director of ReCHAI, says people typically stick to exercise programs 20 to 30 percent of the time. In a previous study that she conducted of people walking dogs for exercise, participants adhered to the program 72 percent of the time.
While the initial results aren’t overwhelming w/respect to weight loss, the program increased the participants’ overall physical activity, as well as their awareness of additional opportunities for exercise. In addition, it’s fun for the participants, and certainly beneficial for the shelter animals involved.
I like it…it’s innovative, brings people together, and offers a societal benefit, so definitely “win-win.”
