To determine how much exercise your fur friend needs depends a little on breed, age, health and energy level but most dogs need between 30 minutes and 2 hours a day while cats should get 30 minutes of exercise. Great options for dogs include: walking, running, hiking, swimming and playing with toys. If you like to spend more time inside you can also go up and down stairs, play hide and seek, get a treadmill for pets or even set up an agility course inside. Mental stimulation is also a great way to burn energy too: obedience training, learning a fun trick or puzzle toys for a challenge.
Older dogs may not be able to go the same distance as they did when they were younger but still benefit from a daily stroll to sniff and get some mental stimulation. Cats benefit from daily exercise also. At a young age kittens can be taught to walk on a harness and leash for a safe way to go outside, explore and burn energy. Toys such as feather wands or toys that move encourage them to run, jump and pounce. Climbing is also a great exercise so getting climbing towers and scratching posts will give them safe areas to jump and climb. There are also great puzzle toys for cats that give them a challenge to find treats.