EVERYONE is gym crazy at this time of year but it seems picking up your dog's lead is a better fitness option than hitting the treadmill. A new survey in the UK has found that dog owners cover 676 miles a year.

That's a staggering 208 miles more than gym goers, who only clock up 468 miles in an average year.

And what's more, the average dog owner will walk the equivalent of Bangkok to London over their pet's lifetime.

"It's a bit surprising when you hear it put like that-- it certainly adds up over the years, " says Peter Banks, founder of irishdogs. ie. "But I'm not surprised to hear that dog owners are generally more healthy as it's something we've all heard before.

"It's not just the fitness side of things, because having a dog can have important psychological effects for the owner. And it's been proven that dogs visiting people in hospitals or nursing homes can be very good for the patients."

Dog-walking is such a good workout because it involves a lot of heart strengthening aerobic exercise. As part of the UK research, psychologist Dr David Lewis tested heart rates amongst 1,500 dog owners and gym goers. He found that dog-walkers had a much quicker recovery time after vigorous exercise than gym goers.

And the survey also showed that bringing the pooch out for a stroll is a better stress buster than pumping iron.

One in three dog-walkers reported being able to manage their stress easily and felt optimistic most of the time while only a quarter of gym members said the same.

"Given the financial cost of gym membership, Fido wins hands down as your personal wellbeing trainer, " says Dr Lewis. "Not only does walking a dog mean you have to go out at least once a day - rain or shine - you become far less stressed merely by stroking a pet."

And new research from Queen's University, Belfast, backs up the belief that dog owners are less stressed. The study's author, Dr Deborah Wells, says dog owners tend to suffer from less medical complaints.

A study in 1995 found that dogs seemed to aid people getting over serious illnesses such as heart attacks. It found that dog owners were more likely to be alive one year after suffering a heart attack than those who didn't have a four-legged friend.

"It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, " says Dr Wells. "The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."

Aoife McCann, a vet at Blackrock Veterinary Clinic in Dublin, says it's important to consider the exercise needs of a prospective dog.

"You have to think carefully about the kind of breed you should get because they all have different exercise requirements, " she says. "You should match up your exercise expectations with the dog because you're going to be responsible for bringing it out for walks.

"A very active dog like a collie or gun dog is going to need more than a half an hour walk a day while toy breeds only need shorter walks. Most dogs need a minimum of 20 minutes walking a day."

She says there is one big difference between gym membership and dog-walking - the level of commitment involved.

"At this time of year, people sign up to the gym and have the best of intentions of going along regularly to get fit. People can also have the best of intentions of exercising their dog but don't keep it up.

"The difference is that it doesn't matter too much if you skip a day in the gym but it will matter a lot to your dog if they're stuck at home again.

"Bringing your dog for a walk isn't just about fitness though. It's a great way to interact with your dog and it can increase your enjoyment of walking and exercise, just by seeing how much your dog thrives on it."

Peter Banks agrees that dog-walking can bring contentment to owners.

"One of the things that I'm utterly amazed at is the rise of dog-walking services because the owner is divesting themselves of one of the best things about having a dog, " he says.

"I think it's perverse, in a way, that people hire a dog walker because they're too busy to do it themselves. If they're too busy, surely they shouldn't have a dog in the first place?"

» FAST FACT Dog walkers were found in the UK survey to be more likely to stick to their routine.

Some 92% of those questioned kept with their routine whereas 52% of gym goers were found to lose interest after two or three months.