Pet Parenting … with Benefits!
Hey there,
Do you need some reasons to have pets in your life? How about dynamic kisses, enthusiastic greetings, and hypnotic eyes? If just enjoying their sweet faces and silly antics isn’t enough, here are six health benefits that come with being a pet parent!
Pets help you meet people, and having close friends helps you live a longer life! One study found that being a pet owner was the third most common way to meet your neighbors. Another found that people with the most friends tend to outlive those with the fewest by 22%. So be sure to work those connections your dog makes for you when you are out on your walks. Coffee date, anyone?
Dogs help keep you fit. Dog owners are 34% more likely to get in 150 minutes of walking per week than non-dog owners. Grab the leash and get those steps in! Or you can spice things up with our Holy Shift! Exercise routine. It’s more fun and much easier than you think.
Pets make you feel loved. Maybe dogs can’t say it out loud but give them cuddles and you’ll feel their love. Cuddling with your dog increases levels of oxytocin, known as the “love hormone” that calms your nervous system while increasing your trust.
4. Kids with pets have fewer allergies. If you are a parent, having pets can mean a healthier family! A Swedish study found that reports of allergies decline with the number of pets in a household, from a third of children in no-pet families, down to zero in households with 5 or more cats or dogs. Another study found that infants who lived in a house with a dog were less likely to show evidence of allergies, 19% vs. 33%. Having a pet can give kids a healthier start in life.
5. Pets help kids with autism develop social skills. Pets sure know the way to our hearts without even trying. One study showed that kids with autism talked more, made physical contact and looked at faces, and smiled and laughed more in the presence of guinea pigs compared to toys.
6. Dogs help you live longer. No matter the reason, you’ll simply live longer with a dog in your life! Having a dog as your close companion can reduce your risk of death by 24% compared to non-dog owners. No one much likes to dwell on our chances of dying, so it’s nice to know that with dogs around, you can spend more time thinking about enjoying life, instead.
You Go, Badass Pet Parent! Give your pets lots of hugs and kisses, and reap the rewards in return.
PS. Check out Morty’s bonus infographic: 6 Data-Rich Reasons Pets Are Great For Your Health!
