Owning a pet is extremely rewarding; however, did you know that owning a pet also provides both physical and mental health benefits? According to numerous studies, pet owners are at a lower risk of heart disease, have lower blood pressure, less muscle tension, experience a lower rate of depression, and more. In particular, those that have stressful jobs or have less human interaction can benefit even more from owning a pet.
Physical Disorders
The health benefits one can take advantage of from owning a pet is plentiful. In studies that included participants from all walks of life, pet owners overwhelmingly had better overall health, even when they were smokers or had high-fat diets. Those with pets had lower levels of blood pressure and cholesterol, and there was even a study measuring patients after having a heart attack. A year after the heart attack, there was a significantly higher survival rate for pet owners. One main reason for this is that pets decrease stress levels, which leads to better overall health (lower blood pressure, less muscle tension, etc.).
Psychological Disorders
Your mental health is extremely important to your overall well-being. For those that are overworked, not getting enough social interaction, etc., pets can be a wonderful addition to your life. When stockbrokers were studied, their stress tests showed that not only does owning a pet decrease your stress levels, but also actually being with your pet does even more to help! Aside from stress, pets are extremely beneficial to those suffering from depression, or those that have inadequate social interaction. For example, participants that were over the age of sixty and not living with anyone else were four times less likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression if they owned a pet.
Appreciate Your Pet!
You’ve always loved your pet, but who knew how many health benefits they actually provide? National Pet Week is May 7-May 13, so make sure to spend some quality time with your pet to show how much they are appreciated as a part of your family!
Courtesy of: Psychology Today
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