Pets Can Improve Your Health and Well-Being

As pet owners, we know how our pets can improve our mood simply by being near.  There have even been studies that back this up, proving how important our pets are in our lives.  Experts have identified various important ways that dogs and cats can help us to feel better and improve our health and well-being.

Pets can help reduce Your Cholesterol Levels and Blood Pressure

When you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, having a pet can keep you active. In addition to long walks with a pet, you also spend time playing inside with your cat or a dog. Simply stroking a pet’s fur has a calming effect that can help with the reduction of blood pressure, helping to protect your body’s arteries and blood vessels.

Pets Improve Your Physical Fitness

Some of us don’t like to exercise and do what we can to procrastinate or avoid it.  However, when you exercise with your pet, it always makes it more fun!  There are any number of activities you can do, especially with your dog.  These include activities like Hiking, Jogging, Cycling and Surfing.  What’s your favorite activity you do with your pet? Let us know on our Facebook Page.

Some pet owners have workouts inside a home with a dog or a cat, including yoga routines.

Pets Reduce Your Anxiety and Stress

More volunteers are bringing emotional support animals to nursing homes or hospitals to assist with stress reduction. There are various therapy animal organizations in Georgia that you can contact if you or someone you know could benefit from a visit from a therapy animal.

Chronic anxiety is bad for your mental, physical and emotional well-being. Scientists have discovered that spending time with a pet can reduce your cortisol levels while also increasing your oxytocin levels. This simply means that if you are stressed out or unhappy, then petting your cat or dog can relax you and lift your mood.

Pets can help you Overcome Pain

When you are in pain, having a pet nearby can help you to feel better. The oxytocin that is released naturally in your body from caring for a cat or a dog will reduce the pain from chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Pets can Improve Your Immune System

By having a pet in a home, a child is less likely to have the asthma and allergies that are caused by plants or household dust. Experts are still trying to understand why the exposure to cats and dogs at a younger age can improve the body’s immune system, but they believe that pets can transmit microbes to humans that will protect the lungs and other organs of the body.

If you don’t have a cat or a dog, then understanding the different ways that pets can improve your health and well-being is a great reason to adopt an animal today.  There are various local rescues in and around Kennesaw that you can check out and if you’re not ready to adopt, there are other ways you can support your local rescue: Become a Foster, Volunteer, Donate Items or Money.  Creekside Pet Hotel is here to help you with all of your pet boarding, dog daycare, grooming and training needs.