Too lazy to exercise? The dog accompanies you! Study: Dog walking increases

Are you too lazy to go out and stay at home all day? Especially for the elderly, they often stay at home due to limited physical strength or lack of company from relatives and friends, which invisibly reduces many opportunities for exercise. However, foreign studies have found that "walking the dog" is a good way to keep the elderly active!

The Daily Mail reported that the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia conducted a data analysis on a long-term study tracking the health of 3,123 elderly people living in Norfolk, England. The respondents were aged between 49 and 91, with a median age of 69.5 years, and 57% were women.

Walking the dog keeps the activity level low and the impact of bad weather is low

The study found that among older dog owners, two-thirds walk their dogs at least once a day, so they are more active overall and spend less time sitting during the day. Even in the worst weather conditions, seniors who walked their dogs were 20% more active than those who didn’t own dogs, and were active 30 minutes more per day.

The study found that older people who own dogs have more overall activity because they often walk their dogs.

In addition, when the daylight hours are shorter and the weather is colder and wetter, the activity levels of all respondents decrease and they sit for longer periods of time. However, the elderly who have the habit of walking their dogs are less affected by bad weather. Even in the coldest, wettest, grayest weather conditions, people who walk their dogs are more active and spend less time sitting than people without dogs on sunny, warm, long summer days.

Studies have shown that dog walking habits can help maintain mobility in older adults.

Studies have found that regular dog walking can help increase the physical activity of older people, especially in winter, so the elderly may wish to include dog walking as part of their exercise plan. Generally speaking, people in old age tend to be less active, but according to research, walking the dog is one of the most effective ways to improve this phenomenon.

Studies have found that maintaining a dog walking habit can help improve the low activity level in older people.

This research has been published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Walking the dog sounds healthy and happy, but what about people who don’t have dogs? There's a great idea on the next page!

Dog walking can help promote health and increase happiness in older adults.

Interacting with dogs brings happiness and walking dogs helps promote health

Researchers said that although it is inconvenient for some elderly people to keep dogs, community groups can provide elderly people who do not have dogs with some opportunities to walk their dogs, which can not only increase the amount of activity but also increase interpersonal interaction.

There is an organization in the UK called "Borrow My Doggy" that provides an opportunity for dog owners and dog lovers who are unable to keep dogs to communicate. Elderly people who do not have dogs at home can use this opportunity to enjoy the happiness of interacting with dogs and increase their activity while walking their dogs.