8 Reasons Pets Improve Your Health and Wellbeing

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8 Reasons Pets Improve Your Health and Wellbeing.
8 Reasons Pets Improve Your Health and Wellbeing.

8 Reasons Pets Improve Your Health and Wellbeing. Want to celebrate your pet this week? It’s National Pet Week! Since 1981, this is the first week in May recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA as a time to celebrate our six-legged family members, both human and animal.

The close bond between pets and their owners is truly a beautiful thing. However, owning a pet can provide many health benefits, such as increased opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression in various ways by giving us companionship.

  1. The pet industry is booming and with more options to cater to their needs every day, this is big news. With thousands of methods to make our pets happy, it’s easier than ever for pet owners to spend a bit more time with a new addition or an old one.

Here’s how your favorite companion can improve your mental and physical health:

The first benefit of walking your dog is increased physical activity. Dogs, like humans, need the same amount of exercise. If you’re a pet owner you already know how to walk your dog because there’s no need to buy expensive equipment or pay for a gym membership. The next benefit of walking your dog is free exercise–you don’t have to pay anything.

  1. Reduce Stress: Pets provide a variety of ways to reduce stress and anxiety such as comfort, cuddling, laughter and physical activity. There are also cognitive benefits such as watching the smooth nature of a swimming fish. In addition, there are physical benefits such as decreased pain and use of medication during recovery time from surgery as well as increased strong bonds with loved ones.
  2. Having a pet can have numerous benefits for a person’s own health, but recent research has proven that having a cat or dog can be especially beneficial for those who suffer from hypertension or high-risk patients! Take our word for it, not only does owning an animal have countless health benefits, but it’s also believed by some to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. For example, research suggests that owning a pet is 30% less likely to cause a heart attack and 40% less likely to cause stroke. Further, the NIH concluded based on several studies that owning an animal can decrease cholesterol levels and help prevent heart attacks.
  3. A recent study found that teenagers with diabetes who were put in charge of caring for an animal had a better regimented way of juggling their medical management than teens without animals to care for. Not only did the teens with pets check their blood glucose more regularly, but they also tended to adhere to their diabetes regimen.
  4. The important thing about being a pet owner is having a companion to feel connected. Pets can combat loneliness and keep you happy, particularly in cases where you may be elderly or sick. Veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress have also been found to gain mood and health benefits when adding a service dog for those transitioning back to civilian life. So, veterans are encouraged to consider getting dogs as a means of companionship when they transition back into civilian life.
  5. There are a variety of great ways to engage with other people. Some people like to take their dog for a walk on their own, while others enjoy socializing with other humans in person or online through dating platforms and websites tailored for pets. More recent studies have found that pet owners often act more friendly and approachable to neighbors, likely because they’re doing such a lot of engaging when outside.
  6. A study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that children who have pets in their home could be 33% less likely to develop common allergies, such as hay fever and seasonal allergies. It’s believed that the dander that comes from pet hair may serve as a natural immunotherapy for babies and children. This means a stronger immune system, more time at work, and potentially fewer missed school days for your child.
  7. Childhood Development: Emotional development is vitally important for children to becoming healthy adults. Pets have proven to be beneficial to children, particularly those with developmental challenges. Children suffering from ADHD have been shown to focus more when they are in a predictable routine, which pets provide. And for children with autism, the sensory experience of petting an animal can be soothing and they have greater social skills. That’s why some animals, like cats, dogs, or guinea pigs, can be great for childhood development.

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