We love our pets at Maximum Fitness!

As a lot of you know we are all pet lovers here at @maximumfitpt - we love spending quality time with the furry members of our family. Taking your pets for a daily walk is a great way for both you and your pet to benefit. Evening walks are a great and low impact way to get those steps in.

A goal of 10,000 steps per day was created as a promotion by a pedometer company in Japan in the 1960s and it became popular as it was adopted by walking clubs. The number wasn't based on research—it just sounded good.

Once the goal of 10,000 steps per day was established, researchers played catch-up and found it was a good indicator you were getting somewhere near the recommended amount of physical activity during each day to reduce health risks. Now, many activity monitors and pedometer apps use it as a standard goal.

Even a small increase in steps per day above being inactive can make a difference in health. Numbers as low as 6,000 steps per day were shown to correlate with a lower death rate in men. But 10,000 steps can be too challenging for people who are elderly, sedentary, or who have chronic diseases.

Get out and walk those pets! Share your photos with us @maximumfitpt