Fitness Benefits of Owning a Dog
Daily walks are the ‘obvious’ fitness benefits of owning a dog – but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your physical and mental wellbeing.
Don’t get me wrong, those walks are important. Merely moving from the lowest 25% of activity to the second lowest 25% significantly reduces all-cause mortality. When you add the psychological factors, including companionship, social interactions, and stress reduction – the fitness boosts from your four-legged friend skyrocket.
Aside from regular walking, there are several more subtle fitness benefits of owning a dog covered below.
#1 Owning a Dog Benefits Your Fitness: Regular Walks
A walk now and again is good, but to get the real fitness benefits of regular activity you need to walk regularly.
Owning a dog means that skipping walks won’t work. You’ll need to get up out of your chair (after all, sitting is the new smoking!), and get out of the house once or twice per day. Depending on the type of dog you own, extra activity through ball or stick throwing might be involved. Don’t even get me started on individual dogs that get so excited they pull on the lead!
#2 – Fitness and Dogs: Circadian Rhythms
This is a more subtle one, involving getting up in the morning (and hopefully getting outside).
Your dog likely won’t wait around until mid-morning to go outside. This means you’ll be up at a fixed time, which it turns out is brilliant for your circadian rhythm. Safely getting sunlight exposure first thing boosts cortisol and serotonin. This sets you up for better quality sleep at night, which benefits your health and fitness.
#3 – Owning a Dog Reduces Stress
Stress reduction is a health and fitness boost that many people overlook.
That stress has knock-on effects on your immune system, and cellular signalling throughout your body. We are simply not designed to function at our peak when under stress – and modern life is a stressful experience.
Studies show a 35% stress reduction from owning a dog – bigger than many drugs and alternatives like meditation.
Of course, great sleep and fitness are also powerful ways to reduce stress.
#4 – Immune Boosts: Fitness Through Microbe Exposure?
This fitness benefit of owning a dog surprised me.
Dog owners have better immune function (on average) compared to those without a furry companion.
The answer comes from exposure to a wider variety of (harmless) micro-organisms which live on your dog. Clinical studies have shown that children growing up with dogs in the house have a statistically lower rate of asthma and allergies.
#5 – Social Interaction: Meeting New Friends
Social interactions are important for mental health and wellbeing.
Many of us are isolated, going to work and then home to the TV. Walking your dog will naturally lead to social interactions with other dog owners. Especially if you use the same routes and times daily. Whether these are exchanging pleasantries about the weather or develop into neighbourly friendships over time – the extra social interaction will boost your mood.
That improved mood might just be the key to motivating you to take your health and fitness goals more seriously.
Wrapping Up: Dogs are Great for Fitness, but Also a Big Responsibility
Owning a dog is a 10+ year commitment, and not one to be taken lightly.
While the fitness benefits are huge, you’ll need to consider how to handle holidays, and inevitable vets’ bills and food overheads. You’ll also need to find a breed that works with your environment, with a temperament that suits your personality.
That said, there are fitness benefits to owning a dog that most people have never even considered. When you add specialist dogs that can be trained to sniff out disease, those boosts get even better.
More Popular Health and Fitness Guides this Month: