By 2023, 66% of all households in the US had a pet. If you belong to this majority, you already know that your pet enriches your life in many ways. A poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that the vast majority of people who have pets consider them members of the family and report that they have a positive impact on their mental health.
But are there really any health benefits to owning a pet? Research on this topic has increased in recent years and some of the results may be good news for pet owners. Here’s an overview of some potential health benefits of owning a pet.
1. Support heart health
People who have pets routinely say they love them, but pets can be good for your literal as well as your figurative heart. Research shows that Owning pets reduces the risk of death from natural causes compared to non-pet owners, especially when it comes to heart disease. These studies, which mainly looked at people who had dogs or cats at home, found that pet owners had a lower risk of high blood pressure and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. All three of these components play a role risk of cardiovascular disease. Pet owners also had healthier eating habits and smoked cigarettes less often. All this can contribute to a healthier heart!
2. Get more exercise and fresh air
Your pet can play an important role in the amount of exercise and time you spend outdoors. This is especially true if you have a dog that likes to walk. People with dogs are more likely to spend time in natural outdoor environments, and so are they spend twice as much time on leisure walks weekly. According to one study, this amounted to 180 minutes per week, which exceeds the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Time outdoors can also help you get your daily dose of vitamin D from the sun. Low vitamin D levels are associated with a variety of health risksfrom brittle bones to an increased risk of infection and disease.
3. Help combat loneliness
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people who owned pets reported that they helped them feel more connected reduced loneliness during lockdown. Pets can help you connect with other people more interaction with the neighborhood and friendships. As a result, you can develop larger, stronger social support networks, which can benefit your overall health and well-being. Social isolation and loneliness are linked to an increased risk of several health problems, including type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety and addiction.
4. Lower stress levels
Spending time with a beloved pet can lead to lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in your blood – and that pet doesn’t even have to be yours. One study has shown that primary school students who regularly had short visits with dogs do not experience increased stress levels in the classroom over the course of the school year. On the other hand, children who received relaxation exercises or who received no intervention experienced significantly higher cortisol levels at the end of the school year.
5. Slow down and stay attentive
Animals live in the present moment and can remind you to do the same. Witness a kitten entranced by a ball of string or a dog intently focused on chewing a bone, and you have seen mindfulness in action. Listen to your pet and stop to smell the roses. Mindfulness exercises such as Meditation can help you adopt healthy habits and managing various health conditions, including high blood pressure, pain, stress, insomnia and ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).
You probably didn’t need another reason to love your pet, but now you have five. Even if you don’t have a pet at home, you can enjoy some of these benefits by spending time with a friend or neighbor’s cat or dog. The pet and your health will thank you.
