3 Exercises to Fix Dog Walking Pain Fast
- UpDog Pet Services
- Oct 23
- 5 min read
This week’s guest blog comes from Dr. Michael Fucci of Goodlife Health, a rehab-focused chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner who helps people move better, feel stronger, and stay pain-free through individualized care that blends movement rehab, chiropractic treatment, and wellness coaching. In his post below, Dr. Fucci shares simple, effective exercises to prevent and relieve pain caused by poor leash habits and posture, helping you walk your dog more comfortably and confidently. He will also share three simple exercises to fix dog walking pain, improve posture, and prevent injuries so every walk is more enjoyable. Table of Contents
Intro
Why Dog Walking Can Cause Pain
Relieve Back Pain from Dog Walking: Core and Stretching Moves
Ergonomics of Walking Posture with Dogs
How to Use These Exercises Effectively
Walk Pain-Free with Expert Help
Walking your dog should be enjoyable, but for many dog owners, daily walks come with an unwanted side effect: pain. Whether it’s sore shoulders from leash pulling, nagging back aches, or poor posture that adds up over time, the strain of dog walking can end up causing more harm than good.
The good news? With the right approach, you can stay pain-free. We are breaking down a few exercises to fix dog walking pain and targeting the most common problem areas we see in our office: back pain!
Why Dog Walking Can Cause Pain
The two biggest reasons for pain when walking your dog come down to a capacity issue (your body isn’t strong enough to resist the pull) and then a training issue (you don’t have good leash control). If you were able to pull a 500 pound sled from a leash, you wouldn’t really have much of an issue with your dog pulling. On the other hand, if your dog never pulled on the leash (and it could resist the urge to chase that squirrel!), you wouldn’t have a problem either.
While most of us aren’t training to be the next strong man competitor, there are a lot of things we can do on a day to day basis to improve our strength, so on the off chance our dog pulls you will be okay. On top of that, Eric Vissichelli, founder of UpDog Pet Services, is incredible at teaching loose leash walking and will make it so you don’t have to worry about being a strong man to walk your dog.
I have known many dog owners whose pets' health goes under because they are afraid to walk their dog in fear of pulling their back. They love you with all of their heart, so show them the same love back!
Relieve Back Pain from Dog Walking: Core and Stretching Moves
Leaning back to resist pulling or twisting during leash handling often leads to back pain while dog walking. Strengthening your core and mobilizing your spine can prevent aches and protect your lower back.
Try these corrective exercises:
We spend most of our days scrunched up, where we are curled forward, sitting in a chair. Over time this leads to our spine “getting stuck” in a flexed forward position. When we get up, our spine has to go the opposite way and will feel stiff and sore. If you go to walk your dog, you are in a compromised position and any quick movement could set you off. This exercise will restore the natural mobility and curve in your lower back.
This is a combination of three separate exercises all designed for spinal stability. When your muscles are working efficiently, you will feel a lot less pressure and stress on your lower back disc and ligaments. On top of that, a good, strong core will make walking, running, and playing with your dog a lot easier!
This last exercise focuses on what we call “anti-rotation,” or your spine's ability to resist rotation. Typically, dogs don’t lunge straight forward when a rabbit crosses their path. If you only strengthen your core to resist the dog pulling forward, it leaves you vulnerable to random movements in any other direction. This exercise will give your spine better capacity to handle those random jumps/ movements.
Ergonomics of Walking Posture with Dogs
Your posture matters just as much as your dog’s training. Hunching forward, craning your neck, or bracing awkwardly against leash
tension all take a toll on your spine and joints.
Use the following tips to walk your dog without pain and stiffness:
We are meant to alternate (that means switch sides or go back and forth). You should get used to walking your dog on both sides. It prevents you from building a pattern on one side and keeps you feeling neutral.
We always recommend proper footwear. If you are wearing shoes that are worn down or aren’t appropriate for your foot type, it can cause significant strain on all of your joints as you start walking your dog more.
Rotation is your friend! A lot of people avoid rotating their back, neck, and shoulders as they walk. Stiffness is helpful when you are in pain, but if you don’t re-learn how to move naturally it will keep you stuck in pain. The biggest injury we see is from quick rotation. Seeing a chiropractor, physical therapist, or osteopath can be a great way to help make sure you keep your rotation.
We know that walking your dog shouldn’t hurt. If you want more posture tips and leash techniques to prevent pain and enjoy healthier walks with your pup check out this article from UpDog Pet Services.
How to Use These Exercises Effectively
Exercises only help if you use them consistently and correctly. To get the most out our your efforts:
Do these exercises before and after your walks
Start with low reps and gradually increase
Pair exercises with leash training to reduce pulling strain
Stay mindful of posture during every walk
List to your body- soreness should improve, not worsen.
When combined with smart leash handling and posture awareness, these routines make walking more enjoyable for both you and your dog.
Walk Pain-Free with Expert Help
You don’t have to live with dog walking pain. Small posture mistakes and repeated strain may start as minor aches, but can turn into bigger issues if ignored.
If you’re looking to recover faster and prevent future injuries, use the link to book a free discovery call with us at Goodlife Health today and learn how we can help you get to the root cause of your problem so you can walk pain-free and enjoy every step with your dog.
If you’re struggling with leash manners or want hands-on help teaching your dog to walk calmly, reach out to UpDog Pet Services at (516) 619-6394 or visit www.updogwalkandtrain.com to transform your dog’s behavior for a lifetime of well-behaved companionship.