((Won't say who I thought of first
)
A workout for those 'get off the couch' potatoes
By DON FERNANDEZ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Shelby rests on an exercise mat after a spirited workout and a yoga session.
Wendy Cope, a fitness director at Crunch fitness center in Buckhead, has been training Shelby for a couple weeks.
"We started doing some yoga together and we've become workout partners," Cope said.
Golden hair, bright eyes, Shelby is the picture of health. And she's flea-free.
"She was a well-behaved dog beforehand but she really responds to me," Cope said of the German shepherd mix. "I roll out the mat and she goes right to it."
That Milk-Bone mass may soon melt away.
Crunch fitness center in Duluth is hoping to get local pooches' paunches to slim down. For the first time, the gym offers training sessions for dogs outside the gym at 9:30 a.m. today.
The workout isn't just for club members. Anyone with a dog, a leash and a method to clean up any possible pet messes is welcome to participate.
The workout? An obstacle course set up outside the gym. Cones, steps, a bridge and even a kiddie pool are part of the challenge. Dogs will take five laps through the course during the session.
Don't worry about a wet greyhound drinking from the locker room toilet: The dogs stay outside.
Creating a workout tailored for pets seemed logical to the Crunch folks.
"People run with their dogs all the time," said Jennifer Renfroe, regional director for Crunch. "A lot of people work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can't spend time with their dogs."
This is a first for the Duluth club, but the Buckhead location has taken this premise a step further. Ruff Yoga -- yes, yoga for dogs -- has started at that location after a successful launch in New York City earlier this year. Cope runs the class, which attracts as many as 20 dogs and owners. The program is being considered for the Gwinnett location.
"One of the things I noticed is the first few times dogs are worried that you might hurt them, but then that trust builds up," Cope said.
It may not be as absurd as it sounds. A recent report, from the National Research Council decried that one-quarter of the dogs and cats in the Western world are obese and that their health is at risk.
Passers-by during Friday's test workout looked . . . curious. Ken Weider, though, plans to be there bright and early today with his golden retriever-chow mix, Sunny.
"Sunny is high-spirited and loves to play," said Weider of Norcross. "I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. I think it will be very good for both of us."
The workout is designed as much for the owner or the pet. While the dogs warm up and cool down, there's plenty of time to meet and mingle.
"We work out on our own and it's not very social," Renfroe said. The pet workout is "good for everybody."
Well, almost everyone. Cats will need a home gym -- for now.
"Maybe there's something in the works but nothing right now," Renfroe said. "I hate to be partial to dogs, but it's a 'man's best friend' kind of thing."
Fitness for Fido
Linear Mode
