Having a pet can improve your mental health and give you social support, which is key to maintaining healthy living habits. The unconditional love of a dog or cat can help you overcome stress and depression, reduce loneliness and increase exercise. Plus, your pet can teach you important life lessons through play and training. Pets also provide sensory stress relief, making it easy for you to quickly feel calmer and less stressed by touching or petting them.
Research shows that pets can encourage healthy lifestyles by providing good role models and encouraging people to make healthy choices. This is particularly true for kids, who can learn a lot about the world through their pets. According to a study from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, one of the largest research organizations focused on the impact of humans and animals, children who live with pets grow up more secure and active. Moreover, the act of caring for their pets makes them more responsible and likely to stick with new healthy habits.
Pets, which live care-free lives and enjoy life to the fullest, are ideal role models for healthy living. They drink water regularly, exercise often and eat well (with the help of their owners). This is why almost two-thirds of those surveyed by Blue Cross agreed that their pets inspire them to achieve their healthy living goals.