More Evidence That Owning a Dog Is Really Good for You

A new study shows how dogs can benefit their owners.

Julia Zorthian

 

July 25, 2017

 

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

Dogs are more than just cuddly companions — research continues to show that pets bring real health benefits to their owners.

Having a dog around can lead to lower levels of stress for both adults and kids. They’ve been found to decrease the risk of asthma in children and have been linked to lower blood pressure.

And researchers have also shown that dog owners are more active than those who don’t own dogs, packing in more steps per day on their walks or just regular playtime. Last month, a study showed that older dog owners take 2,760 more steps per day on average compared to non-owners, which amounted to an additional 23 daily minutes of moderate exercise.

Now, a new study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health shows how enduring that phenomenon is: dog owners are also significantly more active during the winter.

Researchers from University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Center for Diet and Activity Research at the University of Cambridge used data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Norfolk cohort, and they focused their study on 3,123 participants between the ages of 49 and 91. Nearly 20% of those participants owned a dog, and they all wore an accelerometer for seven days to track their movements.

The researchers found that the the people who didn’t own a dog were sedentary for about 30 more minutes a day on average than those who walked their dogs. Everyone who participated in the study was less active on shorter days, colder days and days with more precipitation. But the researchers discovered that, even during days with bad weather, dog walkers were more active than non-dog walkers were on the nicest days.

“We were amazed to find that dog walkers were on average more physically active and spent less time sitting on the coldest, wettest, and darkest days than non-dog owners were on long, sunny, and warm summer days,” project lead Andy Jones, a UEA professor, said in a press release.

Dog walkers got in an average 12 more minutes of activity on the wettest days, for example, than those who don’t own dogs got on the driest days. Overall on the driest days, dog walkers were sedentary for an average of 632 minutes, compared to non-dog owners’ 661 minutes.

Jones said this finding could have important implications about how to motivate people to stay active as they age.

Read More: Almost a Third of Older Adults Don’t Move Enough

“Physical activity interventions typically try and support people to be active by focusing on the benefits to themselves, but dog walking is also driven by the needs of the animal,” Jones said in the release. “Being driven by something other than our own needs might be a really potent motivator and we need to find ways of tapping into it when designing exercise interventions in the future.”

http://www.health.com/syndication/dog-owners-benefits

The Real Reason You Love Walking Your Dog

It's good exercise, sure, but the main motivation for grabbing that leash and heading outdoors has to do with your emotions.

Amanda MacMillan

September 01, 2017

Owning a dog and going on regular dog walks both have proven health benefits. But a new study suggests that no matter how many times you hear that pounding the pavement with your pup is good exercise, that’s ultimately not what gets you (and your four-legged friend) up and moving.

According to research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, dog owners are motivated to walk their pets because it makes them happy—not for health or social reasons. Also up there on the list of reasons? They think it makes their dogs happy, too.

The study analyzed interviews and personal written reflections from 26 people about why, exactly, they walk their dogs. While many owners said they do it to benefit their pooch, the researchers say the importance of the owners’ happiness and well-being was also clear.

But that happiness depends on the owner believing that the dog is enjoying the walk, the researchers noted in their paper. Motivation to walk was decreased when owners had reason to doubt this notion—like when they felt their dog was misbehaving, “lazy,” or “too old” to walk regularly.

The study mainly suggests that dog owners keep doing what they’re doing, since they can still rack up the health benefits of dog-walking even if that's not the primary goal.

But it does make the case that health advocates might want to tweak their message when promoting dog-walking in order to appeal to more people. (Dog owners are generally more physically active than non-owners, the authors say, but some rarely walk their dogs at all.)

Lead author Carri Westgarth, PhD, a research fellow at the University of Liverpool, says she hopes these findings resonate with dog owners and animal lovers. “Dog walking can be really important for our mental health, and there is no joy like seeing your dog having a good time,” she says. “In this age of information and work overload, let’s thank our dogs for—in the main—being such a positive influence on our well-being.”

She suggests dog walking might be even more beneficial for owners if they were to “leave the mobile and worries at home and try to focus on observing our dog and appreciating our surroundings.” Westgarth also recommends trying new or longer walking routes—or finding new ways to be active with your dog, like playing fetch or hide-and-seek with treats—when you’re feeling particularly stressed.

Taking on a dog is a big responsibility, but volunteering to walk someone else’s dog (or a shelter dog) can also be beneficial for people who don’t have the time or motivation to keep a furry companion. “In particular, older people can really benefit from the company of a dog and motivation to go for a short walk,” says Westgarth.

Westgarth also says she did a lot of self-analysis as part of her research, and she learned that it’s important for dog owners to be critical of themselves. “Ask yourself: Does your dog really ‘look tired’ that day or are you making excuses for yourself?” she says. “Just because your dog is small, would it really not be able to cope with an hour’s walk?”

Routines can work wonders, she adds, because humans and dogs both love them. “If you are struggling, set up a daily time for dog walking,” she says. “Your dog will thank you for it and you might actually enjoy it more than you think.”

http://www.health.com/pets/dog-walking-health-happiness

RELATED: 15 Best Dog Breeds for Active People

RELATED: 15 Fun Ways to Work Out With Your Dog

Walk the malls

Mall walkers Ana Morales and Flora Yang walk together at Mazza Gallerie in Washington, D.C.; Yang walks twice a week at the mall and says mall walking keeps her young and fit.

Anna Gorman, Washington Post | April 19, 2016 10:58 AM ET

Flora Yang is small, spry and not afraid to tell you her age: “90-something.” She walks twice a week at the Mazza Gallerie mall in Northwest Washington and says mall walking keeps her young and fit.

Health officials are starting to notice that effect too and say more malls should open their doors to walkers.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out a guide saying the mall is a perfect place for seniors to get in their steps.

It’s no secret that getting up and moving makes people healthier and reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But unpredictable weather and unsafe streets sometimes get in the way, especially for seniors.

That’s where shopping malls come in.

Mall walking began decades ago, when heart doctors began recommending it to their patients, said Basia Belza, a professor at the University of Washington’s nursing school. She estimates that hundreds of programs exist around the country, but they aren’t widely known.

“They are the best-kept secret,” Belza said.

Heidi de Marco, Kaiser Health NewsDr. Eric Schichor checks a participant's blood pressure at Mazza Gallerie in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Schichor is retired and volunteers his time at every mall walking session.

The CDC’s resource guide, released last year, encourages malls to expand walking clubs and set up new ones. The guide, co-authored by Belza, said indoor shopping centers are ideal for walking because their level surfaces make seniors less likely to slip and fall. Malls are also well-lit and have water fountains, restrooms and places to rest. And seniors can walk in malls regardless of the weather.

The U.S. Surgeon General cited mall walking last year in a national call to action to improve the nation’s walkability and to get more people moving.

Mall walking clubs are often partnerships between a shopping center and providers, hospitals and community groups that serve seniors. They are typically free for walkers, and some include organized warm-up exercises, health screenings and lectures about healthy eating.

Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington runs the walking club at Mazza Gallerie. In addition to helping seniors get exercise, participating in the club reduces their isolation, said Marti Bailey, director of the hospital’s senior association.

“It’s so much more than walking,” Bailey said. “It’s walking, talking, sharing life together in a real way. It’s the beauty of the walking club.”

Bailey said such clubs are more important now than ever, given the aging of the population and the number of seniors living with chronic diseases.

Yang says she believes she was the first member of the Mazza Gallerie walking club. She said she started walking there in 1992, back when she could carry her granddaughter in her arms. Soon, she said, people started walking with her, and the numbers grew. She has benefited greatly, she said.

“Still I can fight you,” she said, chuckling.

Members of the club come and go. Ann Morales, the secretary of the group, pulled out a photo of its walkers from several years ago. “This is the doctor who used to be here,” she said. “He passed away. . . . Marlene, Flora are here. We haven’t seen this lady for a long time.”

On the mornings that they gather, the seniors start with a blood pressure check by a retired doctor.

“Let’s take a peek,” Aric Schichor said as he wrapped the cuff around Yang’s arm. “140 over 80.”

Then Yang stood up and headed down the hall, holding hands with another longtime walker, Marlene Jordan. “My doctor says I need a cane,” Jordan said. “I don’t think I need it.”

“I’m her cane,” Yang said, giving her a squeeze.

Heidi de Marco, Kaiser Health NewsAnn Morales, secretary of the mall walking group at Mazza Gallerie in Washington, D.C., signs in participants on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

The group strolled past a T.J. Maxx and a jewelry store and turned the corner at a Subway sandwich shop. Seven times around made a mile.

Helga Fox, 87, has been walking with the group for a few years. She lives in a condo with a fitness center, but she prefers to come here. She likes the company.

“It’s a nice way to start the day,” she said.

Most of all, Fox said, she appreciates being able to visit with the doctor. She has hypertension and feels better after having her blood pressure checked.

Walking groups also benefit the malls, which have struggled to attract people as more consumers turn to online shopping.

Nicole Schade, a spokeswoman for Mazza Gallerie, said the walkers there often visit the stores, see a movie or grab breakfast.

“We have seen an uptick in business thanks to the mall walking program,” Schade said.

Jagannathan Murli, for example, always heads to McDonald’s afterward. He and a friend always order the same thing: two coffees and two hash browns.

“It’s not healthy, but it’s allowed,” Murli said. But, he added, only after walking.

http://news.nationalpost.com/health/experts-new-rx-for-seniors-health-walk-the-malls?__lsa=e17a-110a

This post is on Healthwise

Simple exercises can boost memory powers for seniors

Exercising the body may also power the mind says a new study reporting that older adults who take more steps by either walking or jogging perform better on memory tasks than those who are less active.

DECEMBER 2, 2015

To test a possible link between cognitive health and physical activity, a team of researchers from the University of Boston compared 29 young adults aged 18-31 with 31 older adults aged 55-82.

By asking participants to wear a small device called an ActiGraph, the researchers could observe the walking habits of each participant, with the ActiGraph recording not only how many steps participants took, but also the vigor with which these steps were taken, and how much time was spent walking. Meanwhile to assess memory, participants were tested on their planning, organisational, and problem-solving abilities, and also took part in a task that assessed long-term memory, learning a series of names and the face each name was associated with.

The results showed that the older participants who took more steps each day performed better in the memory tests overall, with the strongest link found between the number of steps taken and the ability to remember which name was associated with each face, something many seniors find taxing. However no link was observed between enhanced memory and number of steps in the younger subjects.

With forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s taking their toll on long-term memory, the team concluded that results have positive implications for older adults, suggesting that physical activity could have a positive effect on cognitive aging.

Scott Hayes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and one of the authors of the study, commented on the results saying, ”Our findings that physical activity is positively associated with memory is appealing for a variety of reasons. Everyone knows that physical activity is a critical component to ward off obesity and cardiovascular-related disease. Knowing that a lack of physical activity may negatively impact one’s memory abilities will be an additional piece of information to motivate folks to stay more active.”

Although the study focused on walking, the team behind the study also encourage participating in other forms of physical exercise, noting that upping one’s level of activity even in small amounts, for instance by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, could have beneficial effects.

The results of the research support the findings of many other recent studies which have looked at the effects of physical exercise on memory and cognitive health.

Earlier this year researchers at Michigan State University found a link between memory and fitness when studying a small group of 75 college students over a two-day period. The participants were asked to study word pairs, two words that have an association, and then tested the following day to see what they could remember. Researchers found that those with the lowest fitness levels struggled the most to retain information.

And this month a British study found that after studying 324 female twins with an average age of 55 over a period of 10 years, those that had strong leg power, which can be boosted through gym workouts, running, and walking, were in better cognitive health at the end of the 10 years than those with weaker leg power. Dr Claire Steves, the study’s main author commented on the results saying, “It suggests that simple lifestyle changes to boost our physical activity may help to keep us both mentally and physically healthy.” – AFP Relaxnews

http://www.star2.com/family/seniors/2015/12/02/simple-exercises-can-boost-memory-powers-of-seniors/

This post is on Healthwise

Increase Daily Movement to Avoid Age-Related Brain Shrinkage

Scientists have linked physical exercise to brain health for many years.

In fact, there’s compelling evidence that physical exercise helps build a brain that not only resists shrinkage, but increases cognitive abilities1 by promoting neurogenesis, i.e. your brain’s ability to adapt and grow new brain cells.

February 26, 2016 

Story at-a-glance

• Physical exercise decreases risk of age-related brain shrinkage, and increases cognitive abilities by promoting neurogenesis — your brain’s ability to adapt and grow new brain cells
• Low physical fitness correlates to smaller brain volume over time
• Any movement that strengthens your leg muscles, such as walking, leg extensions, and squats, helps protect your brain against cognitive decline and memory loss

By Dr. Mercola

Scientists have linked physical exercise to brain health for many years.

In fact, there’s compelling evidence that physical exercise helps build a brain that not only resists shrinkage, but increases cognitive abilities1 by promoting neurogenesis, i.e. your brain’s ability to adapt and grow new brain cells.

In essence, physical activity produces biochemical changes that strengthen and renew not only your body but also your brain — particularly areas associated with memory and learning.

The converse is also true. Researchers have shown a sedentary lifestyle correlates to brain shrinkage, which increases your risk of memory loss and other cognitive problems.

As recently reported by Newsweek:2

“A new study3 published ... in Neurology links low levels of physical fitness in midlife to lower brain tissue volume two decades later. These findings affirm the role physical fitness plays in protecting the brain as we age.

‘Brain volume is one marker of brain aging...and this atrophy is related to cognitive decline and increased risk for dementia,’ says lead author Nicole Spartano ...

‘So it is important to determine the factors — especially modifiable factors, such as fitness — that contribute to brain aging.’”

Low Physical Fitness Correlates to Smaller Brain Volume

Exercise helps protect and improve your brain function by improving and increasing blood flow to your brain; increasing production of nerve-protecting compounds; improving development and survival of neurons; and reducing damaging plaques in your brain.

Over time, the cumulative effects help slow down the rate at which your brain ages.

In this study4,5 data on more than 1,580 participants in the Framingham Heart Study were analyzed. At the outset, all were free of dementia and heart disease. Each person took a treadmill test, which was then duplicated 20 years later. An MRI scan was also done during the follow-up.

The participants’ exercise capacity was measured by the time they could run on the treadmill before reaching a target heart rate. In the end, lower levels of physical fitness correlated with smaller brain volume. As noted in the featured article:

“For every eight units lower a person scored on the treadmill test, the smaller their brain volume was two decades later. An eight-unit interval represented a reduction in brain volume that was equivalent to one year of aging.

The researcher also observed that participants who had an especially high heart rate and blood pressure during the most vigorous exercise had notably smaller brain volumes two decades later.”

Exercise Boosts Brain Growth and Regeneration

As mentioned earlier, your brain is capable of rejuvenating and regenerating itself throughout your life. This information is completely contrary to what was known when I was in medical school in the ‘70s.

At that time, it was believed that once neurons die, nothing could be done about it. Hence deterioration and progressive memory decline was considered a more or less inevitable part of aging. Today, we know there’s nothing “inevitable” about age-related cognitive decline at all.

In his book “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” psychiatrist Dr. John J. Ratey discusses the evidence showing that exercise actually produces large cognitive gains and helps fight dementia.

Research6 has also shown that those who exercise maintain a greater volume of gray matter specifically in the hippocampal region; an area of your brain associated with memory.

Exercise also helps preserve gray and white matter in your frontal, temporal, and parietal cortexes, which also helps prevent cognitive deterioration.7,8Perhaps most exciting of all, brain shrinkage can be quelled even if you start exercising later in life.

For example, one observational study9 that followed more than 600 seniors, starting at age 70, found that those who engaged in the most physical exercise showed the least amount of brain shrinkage over a follow-up period of three years.

For Optimal Health, Get More Non-Exercise Movement Into Your Day

Eighty percent of Americans fail to meet the recommended amount of exercise, which is 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity or 1.25 hours of vigorous-intensity activity each week, along with twice weekly strength-training workouts. These are the “official” U.S. government exercise recommendations.

If you fall into this category, take heart, because there’s compelling evidence to suggest that non-exercise movement may actually be even more important than a regular exercise program. Even if you’re a fit athlete who exercises regularly, you may still endanger your health simply by sitting too much.

Research has demonstrated that six hours of uninterrupted sitting counteracts the positive health benefits of one hour of exercise, so the foundation for good health is relatively constant or regular movement.

Upon this foundation you can then build your fitness to increasingly higherlevels by adding on a few workout sessions each week. For maximum benefits with a minimal time investment, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an ideal add-on, two or three times a week.

Standing and Walking — Two Key Components of Non-Exercise Movement

You can look at non-exercise movement as a two-part equation involving:

• Avoiding sitting as much as possible during the day. Just standing up produces beneficial biological effects, including improved blood flow, which is as important for your brain as it is for the rest of your body.
If you’re an office worker, consider investing in a stand-up desk. Ideally, employers would provide a stand-up desk option to improve the health of their employees, which is what I did in my Chicago office. I also use a stand-up desk in my home office (see video above).
• Walking more, ideally 7,000 to 10,000 steps or about one hour per day. A fitness tracker can be a great tool to help you reach your goal on a daily basis, and every step counts.
There are many creative ways to get more walking into each day, from parking your car further away from the front door of your office; taking the stairs instead of the elevator; conducting walking meetings; or walking rather than driving when going out to lunch.

Walking Helps Protect Your Ability to Think and Learn  

A recent study that supports these recommendations actually showed that when you work your leg muscles, your cognitive function benefits. According to the authors, simply walking more could help maintain brain function well into old age. This study10,11,12,13 followed 324 female twins, aged 43 to 73, for a decade. Cognitive function such as learning and memory was tested at the outset and at the conclusion of the study.

Interestingly, as reported by MedicineNet.com:14

“The researchers found that leg strength was a better predictor of brain health than any other lifestyle factorlooked at in the study. Generally, the twin with more leg strength at the start of the study maintained her mental abilities better and had fewer age-related brain changes than the twin with weaker legs ...

‘It's compelling to see such differences in cognition [thinking] and brain structure in identical twins, who had different leg power 10 years before,’ [lead author Claire] Steves, Ph.D. added. ‘It suggests that simple lifestyle changes to boost our physical activity may help to keep us both mentally and physically healthy.’"

The study on twins is said to be the first showing a specific link between leg power and cognition in normal, healthy people, and this is great news, as your leg muscles are among the largest in your body and can be easily worked, either through seated leg exercises, or by standing and walking.

Weighted Leg Extensions Boost Memory

Another study15 linking leg strength to cognitive gains was published in 2014. Here, working out the leg muscles by doing just 20 minutes of weighted leg extensions enhanced long-term memory by about 10 percent. In this experiment, 46 volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two groups — one active, and one passive. Initially, all of the participants viewed a series of 90 images. Afterward, they were asked to recall as many images as they could.

Next, the active group was told to do 50 leg extensions at personal maximum effort using a resistance exercise machine. The passive participants were asked to let the machine move their leg, without exerting any personal effort.

Two days later the participants returned to the lab, where they were shown a series of 180 pictures — the 90 original photos, plus 90 new ones. Interestingly, even though it was two days since they performed the leg extensions, those in the active group had markedly improved image recall. The passive control group recalled about 50 percent of the original photos, whereas the active group remembered about 60 percent of the previously shown images.

As reported by the Epoch Times:16

“Our study indicates that people don’t have to dedicate large amounts of time to give their brain a boost,’ says Lisa Weinberg ... who led the project. Although the study used weight exercises ... resistance activities such as squats or knee bends would likely produce the same results. In other words, exercises that don’t require the person to be in good enough to shape to bike, run, or participate in prolonged aerobic exercises ...”

How Muscle Strength Can Translate Into Brain Health

So what might account for these findings? We know that improved blood flow increases oxygenation to your brain, which of course has potent benefits, but what is it about muscle strength that influences brain function? Interestingly, previous research has demonstrated that exercise prompts the release of various hormones, growth factors, and proteins — a number of which have a direct impact on your brain health:

• Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor that influences both muscles and neurons. In your neuromuscular system, BDNF protects neuromotors from degradation. (The neuromotor is the most critical element in your muscle. Without the neuromotor, your muscle is like an engine without ignition. Neuromotor degradation is part of the process that explains age-related muscle atrophy).
In your brain, BDNF triggers chemicals that promote neural health and directly benefit cognitive functions, including learning.
• Muscle regulatory factors (MRFs) signal brain stem cells and muscle satellite cells to convert into new neurons and new muscle cells respectively.
• Exercise lowers the activity of bone-morphogenetic protein (BMP). BMP slows the production of new brain cells, so by dampening its activity, brain cells can more easily be renewed.
• Exercise also increases Noggin, a brain protein that acts as a BMP antagonist. The more Noggin present in your brain, the less BMP activity there is, and the more stem cell divisions and neurogenesis (production of new brain cells) takes place.
• Exercise also has a powerful molecular biological action, as it is one of the most potent stimulators of mitochondrial biogenesis through the signaling mechanisms of AMPK and SIRT1.

To Optimize Your Health and Longevity, Stay in Motion

The type of exercise program that will benefit your brain is identical to the one that will benefit the rest of your body, starting with non-exercise movements like standing and walking. Keep in mind that there are many muscle-strengthening exercises you can do without having to switch out of your work clothes. You can easily pull off a few squats right by your desk, or do a few walking lunges when moving from room to room for example.

You can also turn a walk into a high-intensity exercise by intermittently picking up the speed. Once you’ve got the non-exercise portion down, begin implementing a comprehensive exercise routine that includes high-intensity interval exercise(HIIT), strength training, core work, and stretching.

Dementia is on the rise, but there’s a lot you can do to prevent it. Staying active is one component. Eating right and avoiding toxic exposures are two others. For a refresher on the dietary and lifestyle modifications shown to protect against and possibly even treat cognitive decline, please see my previous article on Alzheimer’s prevention. You don’t have to become a statistic, and every step you take — both literally and figuratively — will improve your odds.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2016/02/26/sedentary-lifestyle-brain-shrinkage.aspx

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