A good way to keep up your fitness levels while you are pregnant is by walking. It builds up stamina, burns calories and helps heart health.
If you have a dog then there’s no excuse, your furry friend won’t let you off walkies just because you’re pregnant. So get out into the fresh air and enjoy the exercise. Hopefully you have trained the dog well and it won’t start pulling too hard. Other outdoor activities you can do while pregnant.
Best Foot Forward
Invest in some comfortable trainers. You can buy ones that have been especially designed for walking which are lighter and include features such as mesh linings and toe bumpers for added comfort. There is nothing worse than getting half way through a walk and your footwear is not comfy and not up to the job.
Dress for the Weather
In our climate a sunny day can turn into a showery one in minutes. If it’s a warm day dress comfortably in short sleeves. During the colder weather, layer your clothes so that you’re wrapped up warm, but you can remove a layer if you get hot. A good idea is to carry a maternity waterproof jacket with you during cloudy days, so you can slip it on if it starts to rain. There also good for keeping out the 
wind. Choose maternity walking trousers with an elasticated waist so that you stay comfortable while you’re walking. You could always take our maternity fleece as well. Of course if its to hot like the mini heat wave we are having at the moment then DO NOT take your dog out in extreme heat. Try going really early before the sun fully rises and when the sun is setting,
Remember that you will gradually get bigger so ensure that you invest in some outdoor maternity clothes.
Stay Hydrated
Don’t forget to bring some water with you. It’s easy to become de-hydrated especially during the warmer weather. Make sure that you have enough water for you and the dog and have a travel bowl for the dog to fill with water.
Make Your Dog Comfortable Too
If your dog has a habit of pulling, it might put you at risk of falling. A good solution is to buy your dog a harness, rather than a collar. A harness discourages dogs from jumping. It will make your dog calmer and you’ll have better control.
Don’t Forget Your Phone
Make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave home and put into your pocket or back-pack. Having your phone means you can call someone if you feel unwell or you have a fall.
Avoid the Crowds
If your dog gets anxious when it’s noisy, avoid areas with a lot of people. Don’t walk in isolated areas, but stick to routes you know well that aren’t crowded.
Pick Your Time
Don’t walk during the summer months at the hottest time of the day. Summer means it is lighter for longer, so you can go out a bit later in the afternoon. First thing in the morning will also be cooler. In the winter try and get out before it gets dark.
Poop Scoop
You’re probably used to bending down to clean up after your pet, but now you’re pregnant bending will be difficult. Buy yourself a long-handled poop scoop and then you can easily clean up after your pet without bending or ending up on all fours yourself!
And, If you can’t walk your Dog
If you have problems during your pregnancy, you may have been told not to exercise. If you have a dog, why not find a dog walker? It means your dog gets the exercise it needs, and you don’t have to worry.
Dog walker Sarah has been walking dogs for over three years. She says, “Dog walking was a way to combine two things I love, walking and dogs.” She charges £12 per hour or £6 for a half hour walk and she normally walks two dogs at a time. We have a great time wondering through the countryside and the dogs get a really good workout, they are always tired when they get back home, but they love it.”
So, there you are, if you can, a good daily walk will do you good, wrap up against the cold weather and keep hydrated during the summer months and enjoy the outdoors with your pet. Of course to keep dry our Maternity Waterproof jackets are perfect
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I tried to put a harness on my dog instead of a collar, but I had no control at all. It seemed to me that it was even harder to walk. Now I have a short leash for when I walk the dog through the city (about 1.5 m) and a retractable leash of 8 m for when we go out in nature. Luckily I’m not pregnant. :)))
What a great post and advice for pregnant dog owners- really practical and so important too.
I first read it as walking your dog when pregnant (as in the dog being pregnant) and I was thinking, wow I could barely get my girls to get off the sofa when they were pregnant let alone go for a walk lol
Then I read it properly and was like ohh pregnant human, that makes more sense!
Putting time into training your dog to be well behaved is the best thing you can do for you and your dog. A dog that can walk well on a lead and off it such a pleasure to walk and safer.
Great tips! We only got our dog 3 years ago so I didn’t have to do any dog walks during pregnancy. I do remember though walking with my daughter whilst heavily pregnant and having water is so important, I fainted once!
Great advice and some of it could be applied to walking whilst pregnant without a doggy!
Great post for dog owners! Thanks for all the tips and hints
Such great tips. Wish I had read them when I was pregnant but will share 🙂
Such fantastic tips and advice – I enjoyed reading this post.
I had to get my husband to walk our dog in the end because I just couldn’t manage her
Some great tips, I was pregnant with twins when we had our dog and that was hard going!