Gym Buddy

By Elle

Lately I’ve had absolutely no motivation to hit the gym. Seems like I’d rather re-tile my bathroom than climb onto the elliptical. I find my gym enthusiasm usually goes hand in hand with a goal; bikini season, a trip to LA, looking fantastic in case I bump into my ex... you know... the healthy reasons people shape up. The thing is, even that list isn’t getting me going these days. The winter blues were getting the best of me and my scale is indicating scary numbers. When my alarm rings in the morning, my automatic succession of reactions is: hit snooze, pull the covers over my head and attempt to not lose the climax point of my dream. This has been routine behavior for the past 3 months, until Alvin’s last vet appointment a couple weeks ago. 

I thought I would be in and out as usual. Seeing how my dog has always been a healthy rottie mix, it never crossed my mind that my laziness could affect his fit frame. The vet told me he had gained weight, and not the healthy kind. Fat.  He's just slightly over his healthy weight, but I can't help but feel responsible. 


First things first, I needed to switch up his food, something healthier. Secondly, I was determined to become his motivational trainer, his “gym buddy”. I need him as much as (if not more than) he needs me. I was feeling terribly guilty for letting Alvin gain those extra pounds!! So I did some research and found Brandy's a holistic pet food shop, in the Montreal Plateau area, that carries a wide range of balanced pet foods. So I decided I would jog all the way from my hood, Saint-Henri, across the mountain to pick up his food at least once a week.


After a couple weeks, I'm back in the groove of a regular workout schedule. The jog to Brandy’s is a solid workout, plus we usually stop to play on the mountain when it’s nice out. 

Alvin motivates me better than my personal trainer at the gym would, maybe because he doesn’t cost me $30/hr. But seriously, his happy smile with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth after a great workout is so rewarding. I’m reaping the benefits of training with him and we get to spend more time together.

So now in the morning, I try and alternate between a jog with Alvin and training at the gym.