by K.C. MYERS
kcmyers@capecodonline.com
December 09, 2013
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PROVINCETOWN – The third annual Provincetown Fitness and Food Challenge this year won’t just incorporate gym classes, personal trainers and healthy menus at local restaurants.
This year, the exercise extravaganza that tempts the whole town with free gym days, nutrition classes and local business discounts will include dogs.
You and Fido, fit forever
Here’s how to sign up for the Provincetown Fitness and Food Challenge, or the Fido Fitness Challenge:
Humans: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Veterans Memorial Community Center, 2 Mayflower Ave., or online at provincetownfitnesschallenge.com
Dogs: By Jan. 4 at the Herring Cove Animal Hospital, 83 Shank Painter Road. 508-487-6449
The Provincetown Fido Fitness Challenge will take place alongside the human version from Jan. 4 to March 22.
Man’s BFFs will get one-on-one consultations with a veterinarian at the beginning of the challenge, said Sadie Hutchings, a veterinarian at the Herring Cove Animal Hospital and Fido Fitness organizer.
Pet owners will be given resources such as a journal to record treats, walks and healthy games of fetch, she said. And there will be educational tidbits, such as the calorie counts of popular dog treats. Dried chicken strips, for example, contain a ton of fat and calories, Hutchings said.
Canines can look forward to weekly weigh-ins and a discount on weight-loss dog food, Hutchings added.
The human fitness challenge also has a journal component because it helps people see their patterns and holds them accountable, said Denise Gaylord, a personal trainer, life coach and founder of the Provincetown Fitness and Food Challenge.
Last year, 87 people participated, Gaylord said.
The dog challenge costs $99; the human version is $279.
But if both owner and pet join, the discounted prices will be $69 and $249, respectively, Gaylord said.
“A lot of people don’t recognize that their pets are overweight,” Hutchings said.
Chubby has become the new normal, she said. But a truly healthy animal is lean.
And this isn’t just about appearances.
A 10-year study of dogs found that the group given 25 percent fewer calories in its daily diet lived longer and had fewer health problems, Hutchings said.
Her own mutt, Layla, is trim at age 12, she said. “This is about her quality of life.”
This is exactly what Gaylord tries to instill in the humans who join her fitness challenge, she said.
A little education about diet and fitness can thwart years of health problems, hospital bills and more.
Perhaps only in Provincetown would a pet fitness program run alongside a human one, Gaylord said.
But her fitness challenge idea has sprouted all kinds of creative offshoots.
For example, one local restaurant, Fanizzi’s, now offers a winter fitness menu. And Toys of Eros, an adult shop, is offering discounts to fitness challenge participants.
“Because when you start to feel better — you know …” Gaylord said. “This is just another quirky Provincetown way for people to be healthy and have fun.”