One of the best feelings is coming home to see your dog or cat just waiting for your arrival. The love and companionship that animals and pets can provide are not only comforting, it can also provide a number of health benefits.
According to the National Health Institutes, pets can help to decrease stress, improve heart health and even help children with emotional and social functioning. Along with these indirect benefits, they also increase opportunities to get exercise, get outside, and socialize. All of these things will help to increase overall health.
Pets can help overall, but when used for specific purposes, dogs and cats can provide a number of advantages including alleviating stress. Using pets in stressful environments like workplaces, school, or senior homes can help provide a number of benefits.
Pets And The Workplace
Pet, therapy, and service pets are being seen in workplaces more frequently the more we understand the benefits that dogs and other pets can provide to employees and employer. Their presence alone can help workers feel less stressed out and could boost productivity.
As the work world changes, many struggle with long work hours, increasing job demands, and high stress, a dog- or pet-friendly work environment will help to mitigate stressors and can have wide appeal to both employees and employers.
Having animals present can lead to lower rates of absenteeism, higher work morale, and productivity according to some studies.
While dogs and other pets will not be allowed in every workplace due to allergies, culture, phobias, and other reasons, it is important to consider and think about the benefits that these animals can provide.
Pets and Seniors
Many seniors seem to understand the wide array of benefits that pets can provide. In fact, according to a study from the University of Michigan, more than half of older adults have reported having a pet. Senior owners have reported a number of emotional and mental benefits from keeping their pet around. A majority of pet owners said that their pets helped them enjoy life, make them feel loved, reduced stress, providing a sense of purpose, and help them stick to a routine.
Respondents also reported helping a number of physical benefits including helping them be physically active, help cope with physical symptoms, help to take the mind off of pain.
Overall, it is important to understand just how seniors can benefit from pets. Learning about the positive health effects of pets may be all the push you need to encourage you to get a new four-legged friend.
Pets and Mental Health
Many already know that pets can provide many health advantages due to the fact that there are a number of service animals out there that help with a number of problems such as PTSD, anxiety, seizures, and more. There is much evidence that shows that pets can help with a number of mental health issues. An aggregate research paper found that 15 of 17 studies reported positive aspects of pet ownership for people experiencing mental health problems. Specifically, pets can lead to a number of health benefits including:
- Decreased blood pressure
- Decreased cholesterol levels
- Decreased feelings of loneliness and more
Pets provide a number of benefits. They will offer companionship and love for those who need it, they will give an owner a sense of pride and accomplishment by providing for their furry friend. However, it should be noted that pets can sometimes carry harmful germs that can lead to owners getting sick. Be sure to stay clean around your pet and make sure that your pet maintains its health by providing veterinary care and checkups.
Keeping your pet in good health will help keep you in good health as well.