{"id":2837,"date":"2014-12-15T08:39:59","date_gmt":"2014-12-15T12:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hnetalk.com\/Member\/?p=2837"},"modified":"2014-12-15T08:39:59","modified_gmt":"2014-12-15T12:39:59","slug":"6-ways-pets-can-improve-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/6-ways-pets-can-improve-your-health\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HNE_DrLaurie_728X90\"
\n\"IMG_0322<\/a>I have 2 German shepherds. Every night when I come home they are always happy to great me. I always feel better when I am around my dogs. Studies have proven that spending quality time with your pet(s) actually has a positive impact on your mood and your health! The following articlre is from WebMD<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We found that pet owners, on average, were better off than non-owners, especially when they have a higher-quality relationship with their pets,” says pet researcher Allen R. McConnell, PhD. He’s a professor of psychology at Miami University. “What [makes] a meaningful relationship varies from person to person.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some active people, that includes playing ball or Frisbee in the park. For others who can\u2019t get outside, just petting your dog can help you feel connected.<\/p>\n

Pets can help you in other ways, too.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A Healthier Heart<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Your dog may make you less likely to get heart disease. Why? Dog owners walk more and have lower blood pressure than people who don’t have dogs.<\/p>\n

    Pets can also be good for you if you already have heart problems.<\/p>\n

    Heart attack survivors and people with serious abnormal heart rhythms who own dogs live longer than people with the same heart problems who don’t have pets, studies show.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Stress Soothers<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Petting your cat or dog feels good. It can lower your blood pressure, helps your body release a relaxation hormone, and cuts down on levels of a stress hormone.<\/p>\n

      It also soothes your pet, says Alan Beck, ScD, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Social Magnets<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Pets, especially dogs, can help you connect with other people.<\/p>\n

        “If I saw you walking down the street, I couldn’t comfortably start talking to you if I didn’t know you, but I could if you had a dog,” Beck says. “It’s an acceptable interaction that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”<\/p>\n

        People who use wheelchairs say that other people make eye contact with them more often and ask if they can be of help when they’re with their dogs, Beck says.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Better Mood, More Meaning<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          People with pets are generally happier, more trusting, and less lonely than those who don’t have pets. They also visit the doctor less often for minor problems.<\/p>\n

          One reason for that may be that your pet gives you a sense of belonging and meaning, McConnell says. “You feel like you have greater control of your life.”<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Benefits for Baby\u2019s Immune System<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Babies raised in families that have pets may be less likely to get allergies and asthma, some studies show.<\/p>\n

            It has to start early, ideally before a baby is 6 months old, says Beck.<\/p>\n

            Babies with dogs or cats at home have fewer colds and ear infections during their first year than babies living in pet-free homes, one study found.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Social Support for Autistic Children<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Kids tend to relate better to their classmates who have autism when pets are in the classroom, Beck has found in his research.<\/p>\n

              “Animals change the classroom environment and help to integrate those who are a little less typical,” Beck says. “Once the children get involved with animals, they view each other more positively and work together better.”<\/p>\n

              Don\u2019t forget to take my quick weekly quiz and claim your reward. Act now before they are all gone!<\/strong>\"weeklyQuiz\"<\/a>Please read our\u00a0Disclaimer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

              By Lisa Fields<\/a>, WebMD Feature. Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD<\/a>. Retrieved on 11\/4\/14 from www.webmd.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              I have 2 German shepherds. Every night when I come home they are always happy to great me. I always feel better when I am around my dogs. Studies have proven that spending quality time with your pet(s) actually has a positive impact on your mood and your health! The following articlre is from WebMD. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":3043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[40,60,71,235],"class_list":["post-2837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drlaurie","tag-6-ways-pets-can-improve-your-health-dr-laurie","tag-cats","tag-dogs","tag-stress-relief"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/IMG_0322-2.jpg?fit=480%2C640&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZZGa-JL","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hnetalk.com\/member\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}