According to the daily mail of April 21, researchers from the school of veterinary medicine of the University of Missouri found that people who regularly take care of their dogs and walk them are healthier and live longer. The benefits of walking dogs to the elderly include regular walking, more standard weight, more social interaction and less visits to doctors.
The researchers selected about 20000 representative participants aged over 50 from the United States and investigated their interaction with animals, physical activity, frequency of medical treatment and health outcomes. The analysis results show that owning a pet dog and walking the dog regularly can increase the physical activity of the elderly. People who are closer to their pet dogs are more likely to walk their dogs frequently, and they also walk their dogs for a longer time each time. Dogs can make owners have a strong desire to exercise, not only because owners must walk dogs regularly every day, but also because walking with dogs is much more frequent than walking with owners themselves, especially the elderly.
Medical workers suggest that the elderly should raise a pet dog to improve their health after retirement, so as to reduce the medical care expenditure of the elderly. Communities where retired people live together should also formulate pet friendly policies, such as setting up special channels for walking dogs and exercise areas, so that elderly residents can enjoy many health benefits. Owning a dog can urge the elderly to exercise and help them make more friends. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people engage in 150 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise every week, and walking dogs just meets the exercise needs of the elderly.
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