It's called dog human fitness and it's a new sporting activity involving a dog and its owner. A way to get back in shape without wasting time, and to strengthen a bond that has lasted for centuries.
It's called dog human fitness and it's a brand-new sport created to bring together the needs and expectations of active people with those of the dogs that share their lives. The sweeping organisational, social and professional changes of the past decade have imposed increasingly hectic rhythms, reducing the time and space available for leisure and physical activity.
And, often, people and families who own a pet devote great attention to the wellbeing of their four-legged friend, giving up their own for lack of time — or, in the opposite case, creating an emotional imbalance in the dog that can lead to genuine behavioural problems.
For these reasons, dog human fitness aims to raise owners' awareness of a healthy lifestyle, in keeping with the mutual needs of both human and dog, encouraging a better way of life through its exercises with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.
The synergy between humans and dogs is a well-established fact. Four-legged friends are indispensable for relieving stress, reducing anxiety and helping people live better. And, not least, for encouraging proper, healthy physical activity. "Dog human fitness aims to encourage, promote and support the 'dog-person' pairing from the perspective of play, sport and health," explains Bruno Ferrari, canine educator and creator of the discipline.
"It is designed to increase the moments of togetherness with one's dog through a sporting and educational activity that fosters greater complicity and the sharing of experiences. It is not limited to the emotional sphere alone, but embraces and promotes the concept of wellbeing in a more comprehensive form. It is precisely for this reason that the central role of dog human fitness is physical activity actively practised by both participants in a natural, outdoor environment."
The World Health Organization considers physical inactivity the fourth most important mortality risk factor in the world. Conversely, regular and adequate levels of physical activity improve people's wellbeing and health. "These further considerations confirm how important and pressing it is, in the current climate, to promote an active lifestyle in order to improve people's wellbeing," Ferrari continues. It is no coincidence that Marco Alfano, a professional in the Sport system, also joined the dog human fitness project, helping to develop the planning and technical aspects relating to the human sphere.
Taking part in a sporting activity with one's dog is also a way to save time and thus feel less weighed down by commitments and fixed deadlines. The daily walks our four-legged friend needs and the hours we dedicate to our health, exercise and the need to spend time outdoors can become one and the same thing with dog human fitness.
"We believe that physical exercise is fundamental to proper psychophysical wellbeing. But doing it together with your dog can be even more rewarding, strengthening the bond with our best friend and allowing us to save time during the day," adds Marco Alfano.
With this very purpose in mind, and to raise awareness of the new sporting discipline, training courses will be promoted for enthusiasts and industry professionals interested in engaging in physical activity with their dog, as well as technical enrichment workshops to update skills and/or deepen knowledge in a specific area.
Finally, starting from May 2019, weekly dog human fitness training groups will be held at the canine schools Green dog and Il mio cane. Consultancy services will also be provided to organisations interested in opening a fitness centre dedicated to the world of dogs, with a view to an ever-greater understanding of the mechanisms and synergies that can develop between humans and their best friend: the dog.