Your Body is a Temple (so is your dogs)

Nourishing our bodies is a foundational building block to our mental health. Our bodies are our vehicles in life. They provide us with the ability to move, to create, to give affection, and so much more. We are learning more and more through research the mind-body connection is deeply intertwined. They are inextricably linked.

Our dogs also need care for their bodies and we help provide them with that. We can take care of our bodies and help our dogs take care of theirs together!

In this blog post we will breakdown the various domains of body care including physical activity, healthy eating habits, sleep & rest, and medical check ups.

In order for us to be mentally healthy we must take care of your bodies. So how can we nourish our and our dogs’ bodies to stay physically and mentally healthy?

Physical activity

The recommendation on how often we should move and at what intensity is up for debate, but what is certain is that physical movement is a must for our longevity, our cardiovascular health, our immune systems and our mental health. Dogs need physical activity for the same reasons. It is so much more fun to be active with your dog!

Daily Walkies

Walking is the best form of exercise. Many doctors and scientists recommend 30-60 minutes a day of walking to reap the maximum benefits for your health. Walking promotes brain health, boosts mood, improves quality of sleep, strengthens joints, bones, and muscles, and overall health span. It also decreases risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. Dogs also reap important benefits of walking including exercise, mental stimulation, opportunities for training and socializing. So get out our Cloud Doodles walking sets and get going!

Hiking in Nature

Hiking often includes steep inclines, which gives you a great opportunity to get aerobic exercise improving your heart and lung health. Hiking helps build your endurance and improve your balance and it can also help you cross train for other sports. Recent studies have found that being in nature reduces anger, stress, fear, and increases pleasant feelings. The combination of walking, aerobics, and being in nature create an incredible trifecta of improving your well-being. Additionally, it creates and opportunity to go on adventures and make beautiful memories with your pup.

Doga (dog yoga)

Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise. It exercises your body and mind. It increases flexibility, strength, and balance, while simultaneously practicing mindfulness. Even 20 minutes a day of yoga will contribute to your overall health. The great thing about yoga is you can do it anywhere! In a class, a gym, at home, outside, and even with your dog!

There is a growing trend of practicing yoga with your dog known as “doga”. Dogs intuitively will mimic the poses you make and they will relax right by your side and you move through your yoga practice. Benefits on doga include bonding with your dog, improvement in dog circulation, aiding in stress relief for both human and dog, it can help with behavioral therapy, and soothe anxious or hyperactive dogs. So get your mats out and bring your dog along to bond through doga!

Healthy eating habits

What we put into our bodies in terms of food and nutrition is key to our overall body health and thus our mental health. A healthy diet is more effective than exercise in maintaining our health. Eating healthy can reverse illnesses such as diabetes. Studies have found that consuming healthy food improves your mood, is cheaper, and helps kill cravings for less nutritious foods. In order for dogs to be physically healthy they need a healthy, balanced diet as well. Dogs and humans have vastly different nutritional needs so it is important to be well informed on both of your food needs!

Get educated

Just like we need to educate ourselves on what is the healthiest pet food for our dogs we need to do the same for ourselves! Knowledge is power. There is so much information out there from your vet, books, the Internet (although I would caution you with searching for information online that you make sure the sources are reliable) on our and our dog’s nutritional needs. For humans, there are healthy foods we are certain about such as fruits and veggies, but there is always new research and trends coming out on health and junk foods so it is good to get informed to make the right choices for us. The same goes for dogs there is a lot of different schools of thoughts on what is best for our dogs. Do they need kibble, wet food, homemade food, raw food? The answer is different for every dog and for you. So again, learn about all pros and cons, and make the best decision for you and your pup.

Share a meal

It’s always fun to share a meal with your dog! Find out what similar foods are healthy for both you and you can share together like a banana!

Hygiene practices

Personal hygiene is so important for our physical wellbeing. Personal hygiene is about keeping our extremities clean and healthy. It is important as a way to decrease risk of disease and is also important for keeping social connections. The types of hygiene practices include brushing teeth, washing our bodies, washing our hands regularly throughout the day, and keeping our nails trimmed.

Our pups also need regular hygiene attention from us! Including brushing their coats, keeping their coats trimmed (depending on breed) and bathed regularly. They also need dental hygiene, ear cleaning, face cleaning, and nail trimming. All of this hygiene will help your dog with their physical health and reduce disease. Practicing hygiene practices with your dog is a great way to remember to them! For example, brush your dog’s teeth after you brush yours or trim your nails and your dog’s nails on the same weekly rotation. Find what works for you!

Sleep & Rest

Humans and dogs have very different sleep needs. The scientific community still doesn’t fully understand why we need sleep, but we do know that without appropriate sleep and rest we begin to deteriorate mentally and physically. On average, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep. The average adult dog needs about 8- 13.5 hours of sleep.

Resting is equally as important as sleep for both dogs and humans. We have an enormous amount of stimulation in our modern world. There is constantly some type of electronic device we are glued to, loud sounds such as construction around us, and bright lights and advertisements everywhere we go. Rest is critical in helping our bodies recalibrate and reach homeostasis. This is so important for our physical wellbeing and our mental wellbeing. Dogs also are living in this world and their senses our being over stimulated constantly.

Nap with your dog

Up to 37% of a dog’s sleep is done during the day so it is very important for them to have an environment where they are able to sleep peacefully. Naps are great for us to catch up sleep as well! Include as many naps as you can into your weekly routines with your pup.

Sleep hygiene practices

There are several sleep hygiene practices that are important for humans to do in order to get restful sleep including no screen time before bed, a warm bath or shower, reading a book, meditate, brush your teeth, wash your face. Incorporate your pup into these routines! You can get some hygiene practices done at the same time as well!

Resting Practices

Resting is the art of doing nothing. Ways to rest with your dog include going into nature sitting or laying on towel with your dog and practicing being in such a peaceful environment. You can rest on your couch with your pup, close the blinds, even your eyes and just take in your surroundings. Lay in your bed with your dog and stare at the ceiling. Practice letting everything go for as long as you need to reset and for your dog to reset.

Medical check ups

One of the most important ways for both dogs and humans to be physically healthy is to get regular health check ups. For humans this includes preventative doctor visits and dental visits. Some of us may have other professionals we like to see to maintain our physical health including naturopaths, acupuncturists and masseuses. Dogs also need regular vet and medical check ups to maintain their physical health. If you have any concern about your dog’s health it is always important to take them to a vet. Better safe than sorry. It’s so important to find health professionals for you and your dog that you trust and feel connected to. There are many out there that is a good fit for you!

Final Thoughts

Taking care of our bodies is a large piece of caring for our mental health. That being said it can feel very difficult to do so. Many of us feel stressed by life factors and forget to prioritize our physical health. Some of us want to avoid knowing what’s going on with our bodies and may skip out on things like doctor check ups. We feel we don’t have the energy to exercise after long days of work. We may not care about the potential for disease because it seems like a later problem. Eating healthy may feel out of reach and eating junk food feels so much better. There are so many barriers and reasons for why we choose not to take care of ourselves. I hope this post gives you some motivation and tips on how you can get back on track or stay on track in keeping yourself and your dog healthy both physically and in turn mentally.

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