Time For Your Walk, Human!
Fitness | Karla Mercado | October 20, 2009 at 5:00 am
Photo by author.
That’s my dog, Cooper. They say that beagles are below average in overall canine smartness but this beagle is pretty smart–he takes me out for a walk each morning!
Studies show that dog owners are physically healthier than the average person (Source: bbc.co.uk). Most dog owners are regular walkies, which means that they get more physical activity than non-dog owners.
Regular walkies get almost twice the amount of daily exercise as those who just choose to stay at home. That’s about 300 minutes of physical activity per week! Walking Cooper for at least 45 minutes a day has significantly increased my energy level. I honestly don’t even remember the last time I felt physically exhausted.
It’s not just about having a dog, of course. Most pets help reduce mental and emotional stress, which are common risk factors of illness. Health psychologist Dr. June McNicholas says, “In some cases, the social support offered by an animal is greater than the support any human could offer.”
Owning a pet gives you the opportunity to meet other pet owners to increase your social network. There are tons of annual pet-related events that I’m sure you can find in your own neighborhood. Ever since I adopted Cooper, I had gotten to know my neighbors and now make small chat every chance we get. I have also met some people from the dog park who go to my school, and I didn’t even know that until Cooper started playing with their pets!
In other words, animal companionship can often lead to human companionship, which is a great way to enhance psychological health.
I’m not the only WellWire author whose life is enriched by their pets. In this picture to the right, Dr. Igor hikes with his dogs on the Oregon trails (check out more “Day In The Life” photos of WellWire authors on our Facebook page).
Do you own a pet? Let your pet enrich your life by simply taking you out for a walk.
Karla Mercado lives in New Mexico and is the author of Balancing Tenderfoot. She is passionate about human medicine, nutrition, and writing.
Tags: animals, dogs, pets, walking
Karla, thanks for this “kick in the butt” about walking my dog. I trained Watson years ago to go right to the curb. Living in NYC, this definitely helps during rainy days or the bitter cold days in the winter. However, it has probably sacrificed some health not only for me, but for him as well. Since I’ve been on unemployment for the last few months, I’ve had little excuse NOT to take us on a walk. Yet you can ALWAYS find an excuse. Time for that to end and walk us both back to optimum health.
Hi Jim! No problem. I agree with the winter bit – it’s so hard and sometimes impossible to walk the dog during those days. I think that’s a fair excuse, actually. Don’t want you to catch frost bite for the sake of health! Ha! Enjoy your upcoming walks with Watson! I’ll be in NYC next week, and so far I heard that the weather’s been pretty tolerable lately.