Home Health Taking your dog for a walk can lead to a longer, healthier life, with fewer falls and greater mobility in old age, according to a study

Taking your dog for a walk can lead to a longer, healthier life, with fewer falls and greater mobility in old age, according to a study

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Researchers found that people who regularly went out with a dog suffered many fewer falls and improved their mobility in old age.

A study has found that simply walking your dog most days can lead to a longer, healthier life.

Researchers found that people who regularly went out with a dog had far fewer falls and better mobility in old age, plus a host of other benefits compared to those who went for walks simply for exercise.

Falls are the most common reason older people are admitted to hospital: in 2022 alone, fall injuries hospitalized more than 200,000 people over 65 in England.

A small fall can cause an injury that can lead to a loss of independence, often followed by admission to a nursing home and even premature death.

Every year about 5,000 people over 75 years of age die from falls.

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin examined medical data on 4,100 people aged 60 and over, drawn from the Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging.

The group was divided between those who walked their dog four or more days a week and those who did not regularly go out with a dog. After two years, those who had a dog outside were able to get up from a sitting position 14 percent faster on average, in addition to being 40 percent less likely to suffer a fall.

Dog walkers were also 20 percent less likely to be afraid of falling, a well-known factor in reduced daily activity that can lead to a lower quality of life.

Researchers found that people who regularly went out with a dog suffered many fewer falls and improved their mobility in old age.

Dog walkers were 20 percent less likely to be afraid of falling, a well-known factor that reduces daily activity and can lead to a lower quality of life.

Dog walkers were 20 percent less likely to be afraid of falling, a well-known factor that reduces daily activity and can lead to a lower quality of life.

After two years, those who had a dog outside could get up from a sitting position 14 percent faster on average, in addition to being 40 percent less likely to suffer a fall.

After two years, those who had a dog outside could get up from a sitting position 14 percent faster on average, in addition to being 40 percent less likely to suffer a fall.

And although regular walkers without dogs had very similar levels of physical activity, the dog walkers seemed to get more benefits from it, including higher levels of social interaction and companionship.

Professor Robert Briggs, consultant geriatrician at St James’s Hospital, Dublin and co-author of the research, said: “This study demonstrates the potential benefits that regular dog walking can confer on older people.

‘They had significantly better mobility, a reduced likelihood of falls and were less likely to develop a fear of falling.

“While this may be due in part to increased physical activity, it is also likely that increased social interaction, companionship, and purpose derived from owning a dog also play an important role.”

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