Heel for Good Health - RealAge Tip of the Day

http://www.realage.com/reg/regassess.aspx?mod=TODREG

Walking a dog may be good for your waistline, and it doesn't have to be your dog.
In a study of elderly, economically disadvantaged people, study participants walked a dog several times each week. By the end of the yearlong study, the dog walkers lost an average of 14.5 pounds each. Boost your health with regular dog walks, whether you walk your dog, a friend's dog, or dogs at local shelters.
RealAge Benefit: Owning a dog and walking the dog regularly can make your RealAge as much as 1 year younger.
Originally published on 11/21/2005

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Walking a dog helped people in a recent study lose nearly 14.5 pounds over a yearlong period. Participants began walking 10 minutes three times per week and worked up to 20 minutes five days per week. Owning a dog may help decrease blood pressure and depression as well, according to research. Before adopting a dog, consider the size of your home and yard, whether you have the time and energy to train and care for a dog, and the cost of feeding, grooming, vaccinations, and veterinary fees. Also, if you have children, learn which breeds are good with children. If you decide not to own a dog, consider volunteering to walk dogs at local animal shelters or volunteering to care temporarily for other displaced pets.

REFERENCE
Walking for healthy hearts : dog walk program. Pilz-Coulibaly, J., Adewumi, F., Barker, M., Johnson, J., Shaw, B., Johnson, R., McKenney, C., Meadows, R. University of Missouri-Columbia. Missouri Life Science Week 2005, poster session abstracts.