Dogs keep owners active, U of C researchers find
By Valerie Berenyi, Calgary Herald May 5, 2011
Repost by http://www.mickeyspetsupplies.com/
Think of Fido as a home-based personal trainer who drags you out for a workout, even in winter, when it's cold, dark and icy.
Dogs help their owners remain physically active year-round, says a new study from the University of Calgary published Wednesday in the journal BMC Public Health.
"It seems really intuitive, but it's never actually been studied," said Prabh Lail, lead author of the study.
Lail, a third-year medical student also working on a master's degree in population and public health at the University of Calgary, announced the results at a news conference Wednesday.
She shared the stage with two mixed-breed, eight-month-old pups, Frank and Inspector Barnaby, both up for adoption at the Calgary Humane Society.
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between dog ownership and physical activity.
Researchers surveyed 428 Calgarians from a random sample, of which 115 owned dogs. Participants completed two surveys, one in winter, another in summer.
"Our winters in Calgary are really harsh and we were interested in seeing how dog ownership impacts physical activity across the seasons," said Lail.
"We wanted to compare dog owners to non-owners. What we found was that dog owners have higher levels of recreational walking across all seasons. They don't seem to have that drop-off in winter as many nonowners do," she said.
The study adds to research that shows when dog owners get out and walk their pets, it motivates others to walk, as well. And that tends to introduce neighbours to one another and make communities safer.
"It's not just a good news story for those with dogs, it's a good news story for community health and well-being," said Melanie Rock, Lail's supervisor and director of the Population Health Intervention Research Centre at the faculty of medicine at the U of C.
"We need to look a lot more carefully and closely at the role of pets in people's lives and in communities."
While previous studies have associated pets with multiple health benefits, the U of C researchers caution that owning a dog is not feasible or affordable for everyone.
Patricia Cameron, executive director of the Calgary Humane Society, recommends Calgarians offer to walk a dog belonging to a friend or neighbour, or join the 857 active volunteers who walk dogs awaiting adoption to benefit from the presence of these animals.
We definitely agree with this study. Walking your dog is a great way to stay in shape.
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