Now there's a way both you and your dog can get off the couch and get moving.
New to Lansing since July 2016, the
K9 FitClub integrates human and canine fitness, and claims to be the only business that addresses health and wellness at both ends of the leash.
Local club coordinator Rachel Loucks understands the strength and motivational aspects of the human-animal bond, as well as the benefits of fitness. Since childhood, the 30-something has worked side-by-side with her mother, a veterinarian in Holt who specialized in dog training. Growing up, Loucks also dreamed of being an Olympian, having been a three-sport athlete and equestrian.
But then, in 2010, Loucks incurred a traumatic brain injury after falling off her horse. She recovered, and went on to earn her master's and land a full-time job. But in 2015, an auto accident caused her brain injury to flare, triggered posttraumatic stress, and left her permanently disabled.
"I've never been one for boxes," says Loucks. "I don't like being told I can't do things, and it's been really hard for me to accept. Every day since my accident I have been searching for what I can do."
So when Loucks saw an opportunity to become a certified K9 FitClub master trainer, she jumped on it. She had seen how the franchise had worked with another person experiencing traumatic brain injury, and knew it was something she could do based on her background with animals.
"Through my trauma, I found my life purpose: to help trauma survivors of any kind heal and thrive," she says. "That is why 100 percent of K9 FitClub Lansing's profits go toward providing trauma survivors with service dogs or access to animal therapy."
With emphasis on fitness for all levels, K9 Fit Club Lansing offers specially designed programs for seniors and people with certain disabilities to promote physical and mental well-being. Group and private classes are held at the two Doggy Day Care and Spa locations in Okemos and Lansing.
"Even if you are struggling to do a jumping jack or a reverse lunge, your dog is right there with you, wagging its tail and being its happy-go-lucky dog self," says Loucks. "The dogs in class provide comedic relief, making it impossible to take it too seriously. And we all know that laughter is the best medicine."
Source: Rachael Loucks, Certified K9 Fit Club Master Trainer and Licensee, K9 FitClub
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
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