If you have a pet, give her or him a hug -- if you don’t have a pet, it's time to consider adding one to the family. Pet ownership has many perks – from initiating conversations with others to relieving both blood pressure and anxiety.
Humans have sought the help of domesticated animals but no one can deny that the most important relationships we have are with our pets. Read on for more healthful advantages owning a pet can bestow upon you.
1. Spending a few minutes with a pet can relieve stress and anxiety. The interaction reportedly causes cortisol, a hormone produced when the body is stressed, to decrease and serotonin, a chemical that helps you feel good overall, to increase.
2. One study confirmed that having a pet can help lower your blood pressure. Pet owners had lower resting blood pressure measurements than those who didn’t own pets. This was also true when the subjects underwent a stress test. And after five months of ownership, blood pressures remained down.
3. Owning a dog may have a physical advantage for owners. It’s been found that dog owners are more likely to be active and less likely to be obese. Some think this is because of the exercise for both dog and owner. Cholesterol was found to be lower in pet owners, which is likely a result of the physical activity.
4. People who work with autistic children find them receptive to touching animals – a breakthrough for the child as sensory stimulation is an issue for them. Pets enable children get used to the feel or smell or touch of something in a non-threatening environment. As both the pet and the autistic child often read and react to non-verbal communication, the pairing can be beneficial to the child.