BY HAILEY LAWSON
SB PETS
Pets Bring
WELLNESS
P
et owners relish in the immediate happiness that comes from sharing their lives with that special furry friend...or feathered friend. But are you aware of the physical and mental health benefits we get from our pets daily? Studies exploring the benefits of the human-pet bond have shown that your pet is acutely attuned to your behavior, emotions, and health. This special bond can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and increase fitness to help improve your heart health.
Companionship Companionship can help promote a sense of well-being, while loneliness and isolation often leads to depression. Caring for a pet can help make a person feel needed and wanted and keeps them from obsessing over tedious problems in their life. Many pet owners talk to their pets and often use them as a sounding board to work through their daily troubles. Additionally, pets provide valuable companionship for elderly adults. For many people, there’s nothing better than coming home to a wagging tail.
Exercise Caring for a pet can help promote healthy lifestyle changes. Taking your dog for a walk, hike, or run is a fun and great way to fit daily exercise into a busy schedule. A dog owner is over 50% more likely to meet their daily exercise goals. People with pets tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and are less likely to be overweight, which helps promote a healthy heart and reduces your chance of diabetes. Exercising every day is also great for your pet. It helps to build a stronger connection with you, to eradicate bad behavior in dogs, and to keep your pet fit, healthy, and happy.
Socializing Pets can help their owners start and maintain new friendships. Pets are great ice-breakers, making it easy for strangers to start conversations. However, that's old news to dog walkers. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or at dog parks. Walking your dog in your neighborhood or at the park can often lead to befriending a neighbor through a pet-related connection. A pet store or a training class is a great place to meet new friends with similar pet interests.
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Anxiety The companionship of a pet can help ease stress and build self-confidence for people with anxiety. Pets
