Dogs Help People Get Active
If you know someone who needs a walking companion, you might suggest a dog.
In a review of 10 studies—published between 1950 and 2019—that included 3.8 million people, researchers found that dog owners had a 24% lower risk of dying than nonowners during follow-up periods averaging 10 years. Among heart attack survivors, dog owners had a 65% lower death risk. And dog owners in general had a 31% lower risk of dying from any cardiovascular-related disease. More physical activity plays a key role in cardiovascular benefits. For those who can’t own a dog, most shelters have walking programs for volunteers.
The study was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (2019; 12 [10], e005554).
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
