A recently published scientific study has confirmed that adults over 65 who own dogs are significantly more physically active than their non-dog-owning peers.
The study followed 43 people with dogs and 43 people without dogs for one year. The participants were asked to log their activity in a journal and to wear an activity monitor for one week, three different times throughout the year. After collecting and interpreting the data, researchers found that dog owners spent 20 more minutes walking and took over 2,000 more steps in a day, and experienced fewer occurrences of ending up in sedentary positions.
Perhaps people who are more likely to stay active tend to choose to have dogs as pets, or perhaps it is the dogs themselves that keep owners on their toes. Either way, it seems that dogs are doing their part to keep people motivated to stay active. Is your dog (or cat or other pet) a source of physical activity for you?
Read the report here.
For information about elder law and issues affecting today’s aging population, tune into Senior Law Radio with Michigan estate planning and elder care attorney, Glenn Matecun. You can listen to Senior Law Radio at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday on 103.5 WMUZ and learn more about the program at its website here.