DOGS ARE AN EXERCISE MACHINE…WITH HAIR
Spending More Time With Fido Can Lead To Healthier Outcomes
We want to let you know a little secret dog parents have known for decades: being a dog parent can lead to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, stress, and loneliness. With Americans’ ever-expanding waistlines and the rise in euthanization rates due to inflation and lower adoption levels, perhaps we need to look at dogs as more than just “Man’s Best Friend” or as a piece of property.
They say the bond between humans and dogs can lead to better health outcomes. Yes, that’s right…a dog is more than just a freeloader who can (literally) eat you out of house and home. That dog can literally save your life.
How does that work exactly? Do you sit there petting the dog to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol? Yes and no. In 2004, University of Missouri-Columbia scientists found that human blood pressure dropped by approximately 10 percent around 15 to 30 minutes after petting a dog. Sadly, for those who enjoy fried foods and the like, that doesn’t mean your cholesterol will go down.
However, according to some studies done by Harvard Health Publishing in 2015, dog parents tend to have lower cholesterol levels than their non-pet parent counterparts. Why? Because dog parents tend to get more exercise while also benefiting from the calming effect that having a dog can provide.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST
So now let’s talk about that exercise machine the title of this article suggests, shall we? When I was a teenager growing up in Manhattan, I had two pugs. I remember arguing with my Mother more times than I care to admit about who was supposed to walk them. Of course, getting into an argument with a hormonal, precocious teenager never works out well for anyone. Soon after, I came home from school one day to find an advertisement taped to my bedroom door. It was an image of a Dalmatian holding a leash in its mouth. The headline in the ad read, “Think of him as an exercise machine with hair.” Yes, my parents have a peculiar sense of humor. Now, if you asked me what the ad was for or who ran the ad, I couldn’t tell you if you had paid me a million dollars. I can only remember the context of it, and that stuck with me for the last 30+ years. That is way more important. So why am I telling you this story? I started walking the dogs for more extended periods and with higher frequency. Yes, I did start to lose some weight (not that I needed to at that age).
Let’s fast forward those three decades. As most of you know, my dog, Brioreo, or Bri for short, is the Spokesdog for our sister publication, Pet Lifestyles Magazine. What you don’t know is that I have had naturally high cholesterol virtually my entire life. Both my paternal Grandmother and my Father suffered from the same. However, my cholesterol has dropped about 10 percent since I had Bri in the last two years. I have also lost 15 pounds in the previous 24 months. My blood pressure has remained high over the last three years at an elevated level but has been lower since we adopted Bri two years ago.
THE HIGHS & LOWS
My point? Anecdotes are one thing. Facts are another. The reality is that Brioreo helped me get through a lot of emotional and physical angst after both our Snickers and Rolo died from different cancers a few years ago. Now, were my cholesterol and blood pressure high prior to their passing? Yes. But not as high as they were after both had died. Then, those numbers came back down after adopting Bri.
Those numbers look to be even lower as I have increased my walking distance and the frequency with which I take Bri out. I also play ball with Bri. We often play catch in a long hallway in our apartment, and Bri loves to chase the ball. Believe it or not, even small sessions of ball throwing help lower your numbers. Historically, all of this has led to double-digit declines in my health numbers.
My point is simple: being a dog parent has many benefits and little risk for health outcomes. And with Americans gaining weight like I drink cups of coffee and pet adoption levels down significantly; don’t you think it’s time for you to get an exercise machine with hair? Not only are you saving an animal’s life, but you may very well be saving your own.
Head over to your local shelter or rescue to inquire about bringing home a furrever one today that can help you live a healthier, happier life. Or, visit our friends at Best Friends Animal Society at www.bestfriends.org to learn about their Lifesaving Centers and visit one today!