Gym or dog?

Here's an interesting piece from The Daily Mail on the latest research into physical exercise. The paper reports that walking a dog has a greater impact on bodily condition than going to the gym on a regular basis. Not only does a pooch require a twice-daily workout outdoors and the owner has no choice but to provide it, regardless of weather or mood, but it's also more enjoyable for people who see the gym as a crushing bore and an unbearably artificial setting. In fact, some readers commented that it's a standard procedure for cardiologists to recommend older patients to get a dog as part of their healthy lifestyle. There surely was a vocal backlash from gym lovers and workout pros arguing that walking a dog is nowhere near reaching levels of involvement needed for losing weight or engaging muscles, tendons or ligaments fully, but I don't think these scientific arguments may dissauade anyone from having a dog. A gym is just a gym, but there is much more than just a workout companion to a dog.

Some language to remember:
1) a free-for-all has a double meaning
2) a layabout = a bum
3) Plod = a slow-witted police officer
4) tendons = ścięgna
5) ligaments = wiązadła
6) a dumbbell = ciężarek
7) a bench is a basic piece of gym equipment
8) I tip my hat to... = Chylę czoło przed...