Trainer Dawn Celapino and her fit dog, Jack.
Recently, my 60-pound Golden Retriever/Husky mix and I enrolled in an hour people-dog fitness class held at the Markim Pet Resort’s outdoor facility in Del Mar. And, after sweating (me) and panting (Chipper) our way through the sprints, stretches, calisthenics and obstacle course maneuvers during that Sunday morning class, I realized that we make a great workout team.
We both achieved more of a workout in that hour than we typically do in walks lasting double that amount of time. Plus we had fun. So did others who ventured from all parts of the county to get in shape with their best workout buddies – their dogs.
Technically, Chipper and I are about the same age chronologically, I’m 52 and Chipper is nearly 7 (which equates to about age 50 in human years for a dog her size). Guess who is more fit? As I huffed and puffed and continued to be surprised by the number of muscles I had left in hibernation, Chipper gleefully soared over hurdles made of PVC pipe and even grabbed the leash in her mouth to motivate me to run faster around the plastic cones during the sprint sessions. During my yoga poses, Chipper playfully hovered over me to deliver sloppy kisses to my sweat-filled face. Thanks, Chipper.
Credit instructor Dawn Celapino and her equally fit (and adorable) Cairn terrier, Jack for luring us into taking this weekly class that focuses on strength, flexibility and cardiovascular aspects of fitness. The class is appropriately called Leash Your Fitness. Celapino is an X-ray technician who has masterfully combined two of her passions: fitness and a love of dogs into creating this unique class. For more than a dozen years, this ACE-certified group and personal trainer has restored fitness in people ages 20 to 75, but found herself preferring to break a sweat outdoors rather than inside a gym. Once she adopted Jack, now 2, the concept of people-dog workouts took hold.
“I hated having to leave Jack at home while I went to a gym to teach or workout,” she says. “He has a lot of energy and loves to work out with me.”
Today, their “gym” is a huge outdoor fenced grassy field next to the boarding kennels on the Markim Pet Resort property. For a true workout, I encourage you to arrive about a half-hour ahead of the scheduled 9 a.m. class so your dog can meet-and-greet – and romp – with the other four-leggers in the class. Come 9 a.m., all dogs must be on leashes and working in tandem with their people.
Getting fit with your dog is becoming a growing trend all over the country. Like all personal trainers, Celapino does her best to motivate you to workout for the sheer health of it. The first class is free. You can learn more about Celapino’s class by visiting her site: www.leashyourfitness.com. Discover a healthy new meaning for the expression, dog tired.
For more info: Learn about Leash Your Fitness program and Dawn Celapino by visiting her web site: www.leashyourfitness.com
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