PetsRFit2: Getting Fit with Fido!

Sherry and her pup Marley enjoy a good run!

I recently had the chance to sit down with Dan and Sherry Popovic to chat about cMEcompete, an online community they founded that encourages active, healthy lifestyles by participating in running and walking communities.

Participants can track their achievements, engage in personal or team challenges and be rewarded for their health accomplishments. While many of the communities focus on activities and running events for people, a new community was recently added to track the fitness accomplishments of dogs and dog owners.  Today Sherry shares more about the inspiration behind the new PetsRFit2 community on cMEcompete.

Guest post by Sherry Popovic

Dogs are known as man’s best friend for many reasons. They’re loyal, they’re predictable, they’re affectionate, and they are great companions. So it goes without saying that they’re also great exercise partners as well. Walk down most city streets or developed trails and you will probably see someone walking their dog or taking them out for a potty break. You will also see a few runners with their dogs. Walking or running or just getting outdoors to move with pets accomplishes a few things.

Running events can help both dogs and their people get fit and healthy

First, it gets their human counterparts up and moving. Sedentary living is killing our society and producing obesity in children at an alarming rate. However, for those of us who have dogs and especially without an enclosed yard, we pretty much have to get up and go outside. Standing, walking, and moving in general, burn more calories than sitting. Combine these activities with a pet that is relying on their owner to take care of their basic needs helps this population be more active in general than those without pets.

However, obesity in animals can also occur if the owners don’t do much more than take them outside for bathroom breaks or have an enclosed yard where the dog can get its own exercise with stimulation. Obesity in dogs, as well as cats, has become another concern recently. Organizations such as K9 Fit Club are combating obesity in dogs by producing environments where pet and fitness trainers host classes where both dogs and owners participate together.

Dogs and people get moving at a K9 Fit Club class

Technology is also playing a role in combining pets and fitness with their owners.

In an effort to promote community engagement among dog owners and track fitness accomplishments, cMEcompete has launched a new community aimed at this demographic. PetsRFit2 is an online community where members can create a user profile for their pet and track their daily activities as well as any race events they might participate in together such as a dog-friendly neighborhood 5K. Points are then accumulated and used to redeem fitness and pet-friendly rewards.

Join the PetsRFit2 Community today and begin a healthy, active lifestyle with your pet! For more information, contact info@cmecompete.com.

Happy Tails!

What motivates you to get out and get going with your pet?

Let us know in the comments below!

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and My GBGV Life to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.