How dogs can help with your heart (Literally!)
Humans love to own pets because of the benefit that a pet brings to their lives. Pets make us happier, less stressed, and more social than anything else, and they can also be dear friends that are loyal and there for us when we need them. They’re excellent motivators, whether they’re getting us out for some fresh air or they are snuggling up at our feet while we work.
Dogs, especially, are some of the best friends that most people have. There is no pet out there that is a better companion than a dog. Dogs can keep your blood pressure low and cholesterol to a minimum, which means that dogs can literally keep your heart healthy.
Improving Heart Health
We keep our dogs healthy with the best dry puppy food UK. The fact that they return the favour – minus the puppy food – is one of the reasons that people get dogs. They keep us healthier. We move more, and we love more when we have a dog as a companion. The heart is an involved muscle, and without both exercise and relaxation, the heart cannot survive properly. We need good food, functional movement, and a lot of love to keep our hearts healthy, and our dogs can help us with that. There is no documented and clear cause and effect of the relationship between our dog ownership and heart health, but this is because dogs are only a part of the picture to improving heart health.
Lower Blood Pressure
There are more than enough studies out there that prove that dog owners have far more moderate blood pressure than those who do not own dogs. This is most likely because dog owners tend to get more exercise than those who don’t own dogs. It’s also got something to do with the power of touch; simply stroking a dog is soothing enough to bring our blood pressure down. Lower blood pressure equals a much lower level of stress on the heart. The more we walk the dogs, the more weight we lose and bingo; lower blood pressure is the result.
A Calming Effect
Dogs have a natural ability to calm us down. When we are in crisis, it’s a comfort to have a dog come and give us some attention and love. It’s for this reason that people have a lot less cardiovascular reactivity when stressed. The heart rate and blood pressure go up far less than someone who doesn’t have a dog!
There’s no question that owning a dog is right for you. There is so much more that you can achieve concerning your health when you have a dog with you but don’t get a pet purely to reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s simply a happy byproduct of owning a new pup. The benefits of having a dog by your side are unquestionable, and you can improve your entire life with a dog by your side. The big question isn’t whether a dog can help your heart, it’s when you plan to get one and let it happen!
