Healthy Pets, Healthy People

PGX Investigates: The Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

Can owning dog really make a difference to your health? Yes!

You may be surprised to learn that owning a pet is actually connected to better health! There are plenty of reasons why people have pets and now improved health can be one of them!

Studies have shown that people who own pets are less likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. Depending on what kind of animal you keep, having pets can also increase your opportunity to get outdoors, exercise and socialize!

A study conducted in 2007 by Queen’s University Belfast found that dog owners especially are more likely to live a longer life and experience healthy weight maintenance, improved cardiovascular fitness and superior self esteem, as well as reduced blood pressure adn cholesterol!

According to the British Journal of Health Psychology, daily walks with your dog (a great way to get out and exercise) are only part of the equation. Dogs can be great stress “buffers” and have been a great source of companionship to people with injuries or disabilities. Incredibly, dogs have also been able to detect an oncoming seizure!

So even though walking is only a part of the healthy equation of pet ownership, the next time your dog comes to you with the leash in his mouth, lace up those sneakers and go for a walk!

Want to read more about the health benefits of pets? Check out these great articles…

Health Benefits of Pets, CDC

Dog-owners ‘lead healthier lives’ BBC News

Live Like Royalty: The Many Health Benefits of Dogs, Man’s Best Friends, The Atlantic

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Changing the Clocks and Your Children’s Health

With the change of the clocks, daylight fades earlier in the winter months. What does this mean for your children?

It is such a gorgeous sunny day outside as I write this, it’s seems hard to believe that in just a few hours, the sun will have set! Now that the clocks have been put back, our evenings come much earlier. What does this mean for your kids?

A recent study from UK researchers suggests that not changing the clocks would keep your children active by allowing them more outdoor play. What do you think?

BBC Health News reports on this interesting idea.

 

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