Apart from making you more active, if you have pets, you are also more likely to eat healthy and sustain your dietary goals
Pets are not just mood elevators and lifelong companions but can also take care of your cardiovascular health. Apart from giving you unconditional love, your dogs, cats, turtles, mice, or guinea pigs also have a positive impact on your physical, cardiac, and heart health.
How do pets improve your heart health?
Studies show a significant connection between pets and heart health as they create a lot of emotional support, which in turn can alleviate stress—thereby reducing cortisol. Experts say interacting with your pets has also been linked to increased production of oxytocin - a hormone that promotes bonding and reduces stress.
And while your furry friends may not contribute directly to your heart health, dog or cat ownership helps:
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Lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels
- Bring down the rates of hypertension or high blood pressure
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Lower rates of stroke
According to the American Heart Association, you must own a pet - especially a dog—as a good option for people to help reduce their risk of heart disease. So, what is behind this seemingly magical power of pets? Let’s delve deeper:
Pets lower heart rate
Experts say owning a pet reduces stress and lowers cortisol levels—both of which, in high quantities, can cause high blood pressure and cortisol.
Also, having a pet can be calming, and it helps lower heart rates as well. And while most studies focus on dogs or cats, you may see that other animals are also equally stress-reducing—like fish.
Lower blood pressure
According to studies, cat owners were 42 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure than non-pet owners, and dog owners were 31 per cent less likely.
Researchers noticed that pets’ effect on blood pressure was particularly strong during moments of direct contact, such as stroking or petting. Also, the intensity of your relationship with the pet also matters.
Pets help increase physical activity
Those who have pets, especially dogs, engage more in physical activity than others. According to doctors, since you may take out your pets for a walk more than once a day, it helps increase your daily step count. Studies say dog owners walk more than 20 minutes more on average than those who do not own dogs.
And so, regular movement and physical activity help reduce your risk of cardiovascular death by at least 22-25 per cent.
Pets promote healthy eating
According to experts, apart from making you more active, if you have pets, you are also more likely to eat healthy and sustain your dietary goals.
Doctors say if you are concerned about making your dog or cat healthy, you should put in effort at making your own food healthier as well.
Pets reduce any chance of fatal heart events
It is also a possibility that having a pet can reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack or stroke by as much as 65 per cent. According to studies, dogs can give you the benefits of increased physical activity along with offering positive social and psychological effects that reduce chances of heart issues and even aid faster recovery after a major health event.
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