5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health: Doctors and Experts on How Furry Friends Can Help You Live Longer

Our furry friends aren’t just cute – they can help us live longer, happier lives. Closer reveals how doctors and experts believe pets can improve your health!

Pets Help You Get Physical

“Pets require plenty of exercise and taking them out for a walk may give you the workout you need,” point out the folks at Piedmont Healthcare. “Research from Michigan State University shows that people with dogs are 34 percent more likely to get the recommended amount of weekly exercise than people with other kinds of pets or no pets at all.”

Furry Friends Are Good for Your Heart

According to Dr. Al Townshend, a veterinarian at Pet Planet, “Your heart loves your pet in more ways than one. The American Heart Association cites a number of studies that found pet ownership may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some data even indicates that pets help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and that owners with heart issues are more likely to survive heart attacks.”

Pets Teach Mindfulness

“The foundations of mindfulness include attention, intention, compassion, and awareness,” explains Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the National Institute of Health Clinical Center in Maryland. “All of those things are things that animals bring to the table. People kind of have to learn it. Animals do this innately.”

Furry Friends Can Decrease Stress

“Petting, cuddling and even staring at your pet releases hormones that can decrease stress and anxiety [and especially] ease work or school-related stress,” say experts at Illinois’ Duly Health and Care. “Even people who don’t own a pet can experience relief by watching dogs and cats on video and social media.”

Pets Help Form Routines

Per the folks at Brown University Health, “Animals seem to have their own clocks that are pretty accurate. That means even if you don’t remember it’s time for something, you can count on them to remind you. Having a routine often helps you build in healthy habits such as exercise and sleep, and helps you focus on priorities.”