Find Some Exercise That You Can Enjoy!

By Suzanne Holman • June 25th, 2010

img_00101Exercise has been shown to be a KEY factor in our brain health.  There are many other suggestions for supplements and foods, but we know for SURE that keeping our cardiovascular health strong is essential for avoiding Alzheimer’s Disease and having a sharp and focused brain.

If you are saying you don’t like to exercise, find something that you can enjoy-whether it is something indoors like dancing or aerobics classes.  Just putting on some music and moving your body in your living room can be a great way to move!

If only I could get my adopted ShihTzu Shaiming as excited to get up and go walking as I am!

Today, after he gave me some clear signals that he really didn’t want to be walking…like planting his feet and refusing to move his little furry body…

I decided that I would take his little leash and tuck it in his harness and let him walk free.

He liked this MUCH better! He’s not a dog that would run away….as a matter of fact, the only time he WILL run is if I am enticing him with a very yummy treat, playing hide and seek from room to room in the house.  I’ve never had a dog who wasn’t excited to take a walk so this has been interesting looking for strategies to get him to enjoy some exercise.

He likes going to the dog park where he can be off leash so I thought I’d try it on our normal walk. Glad I did.  I think he actually enjoyed his time out there this morning.

Yesterday at 6 am we headed to our nearby dog park and found out it was closed for a week for maintenance.  It’s a great park with lots of grass and trees-one section for small dogs and one section for large dogs.

I’m optimistic that he’ll learn to love exercise.  As I read in the ShihTzu manuals, this breed needs exercise although they really don’t like it!   I had no idea about the unique characteristics of this breed.    I just fell in love with him April 23rd at the Humane Society and knew he and I were meant to be together.  Then I started my education about his breed so I could understand him better.

Please take note of his unique eyes!  He has one brown and one blue eye.  Some ShihTzus do have blue eyes.  Most have brown eyes.  Shaiming is unique in having one of each!  More large dogs have two different eye colors than the little ones.  Shaiming is her own “person” in so many ways!

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Comments(3) Alzheimer’s Disease, Getting Fit, Suzanne Holman, exercise

Comments

By Dale Anderson on June 27th, 2010 at 8:31 am

I noticed Shaiming is multi-colored, in the horse world we would call that a pinto or paint. They too may have either blue or brown eye or one of each. could relate to the color genes. Cute dog

Dale

By Suzanne Holman on June 30th, 2010 at 7:22 am

Interesting…..hadn’t thought about the multi color coat in relationship to the eye colors.
Thanks for your sweet comment….I think he’s pretty cute too!

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