Our 10 tips for how animals keep fit

A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa

Do animals spend time on exercising to keep healthy and fit? Observations suggest they have the skills and energy to participate in a range of sports. Indeed, if this is the case, what advice would they give!? Let's check out their top ten tips!

Animals, Sports, Sports, Exercise, Fitness, Keep fit, Gym, Gymnastics, Health, Cats, Dogs, Sheep, Birds, Pigs, Goats

TIPS FOR EXERCISING

Kia ora, my name is Jock. I'll guide you through how animals keep fit. Here's our top ten tips!

Jock

Christchurch City Libraries

TIP 1: START SMALL AND AIM HIGH

You, too, can be a star like us reaching the athletic heights of the animal olympics!

Gentle walking exercises to warm-up

Joanna Johnson and dog on country road, England

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Flying cannonball!

Showing agility

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Whee! Sail over the top!

Show-jumping

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

TIP 2: VALUE THE ADVICE OF COACHES / MENTORS

When swimming, grab the stick like this

Bellastick

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

TIP 3: FELINE ADVICE

Visualise in your dreams that you are an athlete

Honey in bed

Auckland Libraries

Roll onto your back - keep relaxing your muscles

Honey the cat in the garden, 1968

Auckland Libraries

TIP 4: CANINE ADVICE

Build your leg muscle toning

Dog hydrotherapy

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Practice running & fetching the ball

Simple Pleasures

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Workout with wrestling moves

Dogs on the Port Hobart

Auckland Libraries

TIP 5: ELEPHANTINE ADVICE

Keep in-step and at a safe distance

Elephants, 1960

Tauranga City Libraries

All together now - 1, 2, 3 (Teamwork is so important!)

Circus elephants being trained for New York season

Auckland Libraries

Having trust helps! (Yikes, how do I get down!)

Elephant at Wellington Zoo

Alexander Turnbull Library

TIP 6: PORCINE ADVICE

Pig racing!

Pig racing

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Hmm - what next? I wonder if pigs can fly

Digital Photograph: Painting on Retaining Wall, Flying Pig

Canterbury Museum

TIP 7: BE ADVENTUROUS - TRY DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES

WARM-UP EXERCISES FOR BEGINNERS

Let's play roly poly!

Southern Elephant Seal

iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

Turn slowly

Southern Elephant Seal

iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

All the way around!

Southern Elephant Seal

iNaturalist NZ — Mātaki Taiao

RHYTHMIC DANCING

Let's do the Funky Chicken! - Start swaying your hips like this

Penguin, King

Puke Ariki

Let's do the Hokey pokey - You put your left foot in; you take your left foot out....

Weka with fledgling chick- Kenepuru Head, Marlborough Sounds

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

SWIMMING SPORTS

We'll practise our moves on land first

Weka- Kenepuru Head, Marlborough Sounds

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Then work on our paddling strokes

Australian Coot, Ohau Canal, Twizel

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Yippee! Let's try backstroke!

Survival of the fittest

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

'WHEELIE' SPORTS

Why not try skateboarding!

Taranaki's surfing, skating dog Cruz needs your help

TV3

HIGH JUMP

Tuck your legs under

Dog jumping wire fence

Nelson Provincial Museum

Then land on the other side!

Dog hurdling rails, Mangamahu

Alexander Turnbull Library

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

On your mark. Get set. Go!

Eye dog at work

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Here they come over the crest of the hill!

Halfbreds in the South Island foothills

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

Impressive! You're ready for mountain climbing!

An agile goat

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

RIDING SPORTS

Chariot racing

Mary Giles and her husky team, Plimmerton Beach - Photograph taken by Ross Giblin

Alexander Turnbull Library

Tobogganing

Fun in the snow

Auckland Libraries

Donkey riding

Holiday time Auckland resorts.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Pulling cart

Young boy in dog drawn cart.

Hamilton City Libraries

BOATING

Image: Evening Post" Photo. A canoe and its crew in Evans Bay on Saturday afternoon. The dog was quite unconcerned and .m-terested in his surroundings. (Evening Post, 06 January 1941)

Aha - so that is how to steer a boat!

Evening Post" Photo. A canoe and its crew in Evans Bay on Saturday afternoon. The dog was quite unconcerned and .m-terested in his surroundings. (E...

National Library of New Zealand

Look - I've learnt to sail by myself!

'The dog watch'-second prize comic study

Auckland Libraries

Wow! Imagine being a ship captain!

Dog on warship

Alexander Turnbull Library

BALL SPORTS

Rugby

Stavies, dog

Nelson Provincial Museum

Soccer

A Dog That Looks Forward to the Opening of the Football Season

Auckland Libraries

Beach ball

The story of Opo

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

HERDING

That's right - look them in the eye

Farm dog herding sheep

University of Waikato

Keep focused and try to stare them down

Malcolm McGregor's Squadron Huts

Hamilton City Libraries

Work as a team to move them along

Herding cattle along a track above a river near Katikati?

Auckland Libraries

TIP 8: KEEP HYDRATED AND WATCH YOUR DIET

Pig with piglets: photograph

Wairarapa Archive

Kiwi

Auckland Libraries

Bird feeder

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

TIP 9: COOL DOWN & REST UP AFTER EXERCISING

Red panda

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Harry Fow and others in a motor car

Hamilton City Libraries

Dick (the horse) and dog.

Hamilton City Libraries

Jacqueline Rangi Pokaia Carmel Clark in front of Rangiwahitu Whare Whakairo at Tauranganui Marae, Port Waikato

Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato

TIP 10: CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES AND KEEP EXERCISING!

And the winner is!

Prize pig

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage