11 Outstanding Ways Animals Are Good for Our Health
“In the United States alone, 65% of households own a pet...The vast majority of those pets are cats & dogs (163.6 million total; 85.8 & 77.8 million, respectively)... our 4-legged, feathered, & even finned friends... are good for our health—physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual...
1. Provide pain relief.
Therapy dogs have a positive effect on patients’ level of pain after procedures...
2. Increase physical activity.
Dog parents tend to get more exercise than people who don’t have a dog..
3. Improve cognitive function.
One population that has experienced good results with pet therapy is residents of nursing homes & assisted living facilities...pet therapy was shown to help preserve & enhance the function of residents with cognitive impairment.
4. Relieve stress & boost mood.
Cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, & even fish have been found to help relieve stress & enhance mood... a study from Indiana University Media School reported that people who viewed cat videos felt less sad, anxious, or annoyed & more positive after they watched the videos online than before they saw them.
5. Assist people with autism.
...pairing pets with individuals who have autism can significantly improve a number of factors, including socialization skills, eye contact, & positive affect...
6. Facilitate reading among kids.
...Experts have found that children who are having difficulty with reading...do much better when they pair up with a dog, who offers only unconditional love & patience while being told a story...
7. Improve children’s emotional development.
Among children who have no siblings, having a pet can help them develop greater self-esteem, improved empathy, & more participation in physical & social activities...
8. Benefit heart health.
A scientific statement from the American Heart Association... concluded that ‘there is a substantial body of data that suggests that pet ownership is associated with a reduction in CVD risk factors...& increased survival in individuals with established CVD.’...
9. Help detect illness.
Experts have been discovering more & more that certain dogs can be employed to detect or ‘sniff out’ diseases & conditions, including diabetes, epileptic seizures, & even some types of cancer...
10. Improve neuromuscular skills.
...Known as hippotherapy, horses are used to improve the coordination, posture, & strength in children & adults who have neuromuscular disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, & brain injuries.
11. Improve the lives of people with physical challenges.
...Technically there are 3 types of assistance dogs: guide dogs (for visually impaired & blind individuals), hearing dogs (for deaf & hard of hearing), & service dogs (for individuals with other disabilities). These extraordinary canines are paired with individuals who can then enjoy more freedom of movement, safety, & well-being.
Whether it’s a specially trained service dog, a beloved pet cat, an aquarium of fish, or a therapy horse, animals contribute to & support our health in both obvious & subtle ways...”
Deborah Mitchell (Naturally Savvy)
Oct. 20/2016
care2.com
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