They’re known as ‘man’s best friend’, and now a new study has revealed that dogs can even improve your health.
The study, by researchers from the University of Liverpool , found that dog-owners are four times more likely to meet recommended physical activity guidelines than people without pups.
Current guidelines recommend that adults should do at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. However, this is currently only achieved by 66% of men and 58% of women in England.
In the study, the researchers analysed the physical activity of 385 households in West Cheshire, which included 191 dog-owning adults, 455 non-dog owning adults, and 46 children.
Their analysis revealed that dog owners walked more frequently and for longer periods than non-dog.
Dr Carri Westgarth, who led the study, said: “Our findings provide support for the role of pet dogs in promoting and maintaining positive health behaviours such as walking.
“Without dogs, it is likely that population physical activity levels would be much lower.
“The health benefits of dog ownership should be recognised and facilitated through the provision of dog-supportive walking environments and pet-friendly housing; failure of planning and policy makers to provide these may significantly damage population levels of physical activity.”
Previous studies have also revealed the positive effects that pets can have on your mental health.
In 2011, the Mental Health Foundation carried out a study with Cats Protection, which involved over 600 cat- and non-cat-owning participants, half of who had mental health problems.
The study found that 87% of people who owned a cat felt it had a positive impact on their wellbeing, while 76% said they could cope with everyday life much better thanks to the company of their feline friends.
