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5 reasons why you adopting a pet will improve your lifestyle

5 health benefits of owning a pet that pet owners don't tell you | Pulse Nigeria

Martha Kemigisha

A survey conducted in 2004 about pet owners revealed that majority of pet parents believe that they feel heard by their pets rather than their friends or spouses. Besides promoting mental and emotional well-being, these furry friends have surprising effects on the body.

During stressful situations, people with pets have lower blood pressure than people without them. Data from Psychosomatic Medicine shows that not only do they have decreased blood pressure, but they also have a lower base heart rate. In another study, people with hypertension reported a significant decrease in blood pressure after five months of having a dog.

At least 10 to 20 per cent of the population is allergic to dogs and cats. However, a recent scientific study has found children in families with pets had less risk of developing allergies and eczema.

"The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided," said head researcher Dr. James E. Gern.&nbsp;

Petting animals can lead to a boost in your immune antibodies. According to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, children with dogs in their homes have an increased immune system chemical. In fact, the study goes on to indicate that children raised around farm animals have a boosted immune response and are less prone to asthma and allergies.

<h3>4. Helps to improve your body language</h3>

Pets do not have the advantage of verbal communication, so they have mastered nonverbal communication to ask for what they need or want through action. Scientific studies have been devoted to examining the ways in which dogs and cats have adapted to communicate with people.

Learning these nonverbal cues and adopting them can improve your interpersonal skills and help you communicate better with fellow humans in different situations.&nbsp;

To tap into nonverbal language around your pet, observe how you carry yourself in posture, eye contact and facial expressions. However, there are differences in individual body language so with patience and observation, you will learn how the pet communicates with you.

When it is hard to find motivation to get out, and nothing like puppy dog eyes to get you moving. Research suggests that pet owners, especially dog owners, are more likely to meet&nbsp;their exercise goals than people without pets.

Taking your pet on a walk or run is good for you both and the activities you do also deepen the animal-human bond, keeping you healthy and balancing out behavioural issues.

Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that dog owners have a more active lifestyle compared to other pet owners and people without pets.

Pet owners also experience lower stress levels, less feelings of loneliness, increased endorphins, and improved sleep.

5 health benefits of owning a pet that pet owners don't tell you

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