Healthy Aging – A Stroke a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?
Ever consider that healthy aging is dependent on what you do in your free time? There are many things that you can do to keep fit, but ever consider that just owning an animal would help you do that?
The simple act of stroking a pet everyday lowers blood pressure and actually decreases your chances of ever having a stroke! By owning a pet, you’ll also live longer and be healthier overall. There is a strong association between having a pet and your health! The health benefits are evident!
Healthy Aging Benefits of Pets!Pets help ward off depression, decrease anxiety, improve survival rate after a heart attack, lower blood pressure, increase circulation, and have improved psychological, physiological, and social effects on those suffering from Alzheimer's and HIV/AIDS. For nearly 25 years, research has shown that living with pets appears to provide various healthy aging benefits. Heart attack patients living with pet companions survive longer than those living without one, according to several recent studies. Male pet owners have lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels than non-owners, according to Australian researchers. Please take a moment to feed hungry animals! Pets can be a great source of comfort and joy for all ages. They are cute and cuddly and provide us with those ‘warm fuzzies’ that keep us feeling good inside. Pets often provide us with ‘someone to talk to’ and ‘pay attention to’. Therefore they keep us from being as lonely and give us a sense of purpose that we may not have ordinarily had. Many parents who suffer from the ‘empty nest syndrome’ might benefit from having an animal to ‘fill the void’ as they lose their children to college, marriage, and beyond. Walking a dog or just caring for a pet, for those who are able, can provide exercise and companionship. In fact some insurance companies asks clients over the age of 75 if they have a pet as part of their medical screening. Pet ownership often helps older clients looking for life or long-term care insurance, get the insurance they need. Why do they provide such great physiological and social benefits. According to researchers, the answer is not clear. There are lots of theories but they don’t know why pets lower blood pressure. It is suspected that having something on your side, something you can always count on that is nonjudgmental, "psychologically creates a beneficial atmosphere." Having a loving relationship with an animal is one of the best healthy aging tips you can do for yourself. Of course, having a pet is not an option for everyone. Many people can’t afford them, don’t like them, and have allergies that prevent them from becoming an animal owner. Pet Owners and Healthy Aging1) You Can Afford Them! - Pets are not as expensive as you might think. If you get a pet from a humane society, they usually have a very low cost and provide shots and neutering for a cost very little. Smaller pets don’t eat that much, so keep that in mind! (Cats or small dogs.) Yearly shots run around $100 which is $8.30/month. Think of it this way. What you get back for some basic costs is far reaching. The health benefits are huge compared to the cost. (I have a child that costs me a lot of money most months but I don’t get rid of him just because he costs money! I have a house full of rescued animals too, that I can’t afford, but someone’s gotta do it!) 2) You Don’t Like Them? - How can you not love something that’s happy to see you when you come home? Having an animal that stays by your side and talks to you in their own special way? A pet loves you no matter how badly you treat them! (Although animal abuse is unforgivable so don't go there!) So again, you don’t like what? 3) You Have Allergies! - Let me just say this. I am allergic to cats but I have five of them. They were all rescued from somewhere and they have all helped me get through some pretty lonely, difficult times. I also care a lot about my health and consider that healthy aging is just as, if not more important, than anti aging! Sure I sneeze and cough sometimes but I keep my house pretty well clear of cat hair. If you run your vacuum cleaner once a week, that will help a lot! Also, there are a ton of allergy medicines out there that will help you when your symptoms get bad. Products like Claritin Reditabs You can also keep some pets outside and not have to keep them in the house. Just be sure they have shelter in the summer and winter months! You can still enjoy them if you just get a little inventive and use your imagination! Pets are good for your health and an integral part of healthy aging. Most people consider their pets to be a member of the family. Unlike other relationships with family members and friends, (which can often be a source of stress and anxiety), pet owners can significantly improve overall health and reduce risk of disease. 4) Get Back What You Give - We've all heard it. What comes around, goes around! When you feed and love an animal friend, you get back far more than you have to give. Animals are blessings all packaged and ready to love you back. 5) Distraction - When you have a pet around, its easy to take the focus off of your own problems by giving attention to your pet. Not only does petting an animal help you calm down, it also helps you think more clearly about your challenges in life. Since animals have fairly simple minds, they won't get distracted from you however! Their focus is always clear and concise; to please it's owner! Here's the thing: Pets need homes! We have homes! Lets participate in the fight to keep animals out of shelters and get back what we are dearly starved for in this day and time. We all need unconditional love and animals and pets can provide that! If owning a pet is part of healthy aging, then lets get healthy together! A simple relationship and kind understanding between a man/woman and his/her pet is worth all the money we could ever have! When a Pet DiesI recently lost a stray cat that 'found me'. I had been taking care of him for almost a year. He suddenly disappeared and I looked and looked for him. I found him a few days later, disoriented and not able to walk well. He had gotten into something that wasn't good for him somewhere. I may never know what happened to him but this is what I do know. When any pet dies, it will break your heart. So why put yourself through that? My friends suggest to me that he was lucky to have found the 'right home' and such a warm, loving mom. However, I know that I was the lucky one. His name was 'Come On' and he wrote love notes on my heart. To have loved and lost is far better than to have to never have loved at all! The precious time we have with our fuzzy friends is time that has no boundaries and gives you happiness that can't be described by words alone. They will laugh when you laugh, and they comfort you when you cry. They will forgive you when you are late feeding them, and appreciate the time you spend with them more than you can know. They are loyal and true friends! It is not just the warm feelings you get when you rub them and comfort them. You just know they appreciate you! How many people can you honestly say appreciate you for just being you? Pet owners are far better people to have had a mutual loving relationship with one of God's creatures. God also rewards you for helping take care of them! I decided to immortalize the love I felt for my stray cat with a video about aging in a healthy way. It turned into kinda a memorial for him. *(get out the kleenex) Its about a girl and a cat who loved each other. Simple as that. If you simply can't commit to having a pet around, consider a plant or flowerbed. Beauty is also a good generator of healthy aging and taking care of something else besides YOU creates beneficial warmth and joy. Related Pages Have a Heart – A Healthy Heart! Eat Healthy Foods – Live Long and Prosper! Healthy Meals for a Healthy Lifestyle Diet and Health – You Are What You Eat! Stay Healthy and Enjoy More of Your Life!
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