Price Tags has written before about the health impact of dog ownership on enhanced levels of physical activity for dog owners. In the Netherlands, estimates of walking activity had to be increased to recognize the individuals meeting and walking their dogs early in the mornings and evenings. There’s a new study out supportive of dog walking in the newly published Walking Connecting Sustainable Transport with Healthbook published by Emerald Press. There is also an interesting article in The Telegraph where research at the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia found that “owning or walking a dog was one of the most effective ways to beat the usual decline in later-life activity” and “encouraged the elderly to get out and about in bad weather, boosting mood and improving health.”
In a study of 300 participants, pet owners were found to walk 30 minutes more a day than average, a surprise to the researchers. “As adults age, they tend to become less active. In Britain it is estimated that fewer than half of older adults engage in the recommended weekly quota of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity.”
“We know that physical activity levels decline as we age, but we’re less sure about the most effective things we can do to help people maintain their activity as they get older,” said lead author of the paper, Dr Yu-Tzu Wu from the University of Cambridge. We found that dog walkers were much more physically active and spent less time sitting overall.”
Even in bad weather dog walkers’ activity levels were 20 per cent higher than those without pets. In their article published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the researchers conclude that dog ownership or a community based co-operative of dog walking could keep seniors more engaged and healthy. “Being driven by something other than our own needs might be a really potent motivator and we need to find ways of tapping into it when designing exercise interventions in the future.”
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Reblogged this on Sandy James Planner.
One of my heroes is a woman in her mid-eighties who, until recently, played badminton (very well), and still drives. She participates in activities at the community centre and travels. A dog would have been a burden and impediment to her enviable lifestyle and longevity. No “research study” by the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia is going to be funded to make that finding.
Reports, like the one above, do not occur in a vacuum. The pet industry in the US alone is worth over $60 billion. There will never be a study showing the downsides, or smarter healthful alternatives to owning a dog. Who would fund that?
Two Universities? Seriously? Funding by the pet industry = happy “researchers”.
The top photo, chosen from some massive photo bank, is similar to the one of the proposed massive Massey bridge. Idyllic. Stylized. Romantic.
How do you illustrate not being able to shop because you can’t take the dog in, can’t tie it up outside, can’t leave it in the car. Owning a dog traps you.
How do you illustrate that the dog is going to cost you $15 to $20K.
You could illustrate picking up excrement and carrying it around in little plastic bags, but who would fund that? Consider that one dog will be responsible for around 5,000 bags. That’s hardly ecological.
Showing an early picture of a “royal” with three Corgis … one of the richest people on Earth … with a retinue of servants … That’s not the average shmuck dog owner.
Dogs have masters. Cats have employees.