Therapist Unlimited Blog

MEDICAL researchers has recently discovered that having their own pets at home or work offers huge health rewards to humans.
According to the study, having a four-legged, furry pet can lower blood pressure, encourages exercise, and improves psychological health.
Researchers from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) conducted the recent study to gather new evidence on the positive impact pets have in the lives of humans.
Rebecca Johnson, associate professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, the College of Veterinary Medicine and director of ReCHAI explained pets are of great importance to people, especially during hard economic times.
Johnson said pets provide unconditional love and acceptance and may be part of answers to societal problems, such as inactivity and obesity.

Having pets is beneficial to humans.

ReCHAI sponsors several projects that attempt to further the understanding and value of the relationship between humans and animals. In 2008, ReCHAI sponsored the "Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound and Stay Fit for Seniors." In the preliminary program, a group of older adults were matched with shelter dogs, while another group of older adults were partnered with a human walk buddy.
For 12 weeks, participants were encouraged to walk on an outdoor trail for one hour, five times a week. At the end of the program, researchers measured how much the older adults’ activity levels improved.
She revealed the older people who walked their dogs improved their walking capabilities by 28 percent.
She added they also had more confidence walking on the trail, and they increased their speed.
Johnson said the older people who walked with humans only had a 4 percent increase in their walking capabilities since human walking buddies tended to discourage each other and used excuses such as the weather being too hot.
Moreover,  Charlotte McKenney, assistant director of ReCHAI revealed today, pets are in more than 60 percent of American homes.
McKenney said research involving human-animal interaction can be extremely beneficial.
She said more people are incorporating pets into their leisure time, such as making them part of their exercise routines, taking them to dog parks and bringing them to family events.