Study Finds Working Out With Your Pooch is the Ultimate Win-Win!

Have you heard the expression, “happy wife, happy life”? Well, how about this saying as it pertains to your pet?  “My fit canine make me a healthy friend in kind!”

University of Guelph researchers studied results from a survey of 3,298 dog owners living in France, Germany, the UK, the US and Canada.

There were 2 main components of the study; a dietary component and an exercise component.

One of their findings was that dog owners who spend more time exercising tend to have dogs who exercised more too.

Overall, owners who performed any amount of vigorous exercise – defined as physical activity that takes hard physical effort and makes breathing harder than normal – were more likely to have a dog that performed vigorous exercise.

This is noteworthy because unfit and obese dogs have shortened life spans, reduced quality of life and higher frequencies of health conditions including arthritis, breathing problems, heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The survey included questions about both owners’ and dogs’ diet and exercise routines, and each owner’s perception of their dog’s body weight.

As well as the link between dog and owner exercise, researchers found that more active owners are also more likely to perceive their dog’s body weight as being ideal.

Overall the study suggested that owner’s own health practices including diet and exercise habits can influence their dog’s body weight, so a more active lifestyle can benefit an owner as well as their pooch.

For further information on the dietary component, have a look at the full study “Jog with your dog: Dog owner exercise routines predict dog exercise routines and perception of ideal body weight”

Source:  Plos One

Photo:  pexels.com