Walking Your Dog Can Make You Live Longer!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away but, did you know that owning a dog can extend your life? I’m not making this up. These are the conclusions from a study conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri.

By studying dog parents and non-dog parents, they found out that people that are over 60 years and own a dog tended to live longer. Just a moment, though. I don’t mean that you should stop exercising and instead opt to own more dogs. That’s not how it works. It’s the activities you engage in with your dog that count. That morning or evening walk you take. It may seem effortless, but it helps lower your body mass index.

And you know how sometimes you don’t feel like exercising at all, but then you do one simple exercise, and suddenly you are pumped up? That walk with your dog could be the trigger you need to exercise that day. It doesn’t stop there. Do you know what else happens when you walk your dog? You meet other people on the way, you talk, you laugh, and you forget about all those life problems that are aging you.
There is a catch, though.

You need to have a real bond with the dog. Which makes sense, right? If you consider walking your dog a chore, then you will most probably avoid doing it if you can. And if you do, you will be too grumpy to socialize. When asked about the study, Rebecca Johnson, who is a professor at the University’s College of Veterinary medicine and was also part of the research team, had this to say.

“These results can provide the basis for medical professionals to recommend pet ownership for older adults and can be translated into reduced health care expenditures for the aging population.” I think it’s also a great way to encourage more people to adopt.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay