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Cumbria Times
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4:00 AM 4th September 2021
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Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip: Give Your Heart A Four-legged Friend

 
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Over three million more households in the UK have taken on a pet since the start of the pandemic. There are many good reasons why owning a pet can improve health and well-being, but dog owners may be top of the league when it comes to heart-health. If your new buddy is a pooch, you’re likely to be benefitting from higher levels of physical activity, lower blood pressure, lower stress levels and ultimately a longer life.

Here are some of Heart Research UK's top dog-walking tips to keep you and your mess-making, tail-chasing best friend healthy.

Rise and shine

Kick start every day with a heart-healthy dog walk. A brisk walk of 15 minutes will get you well on your way towards your recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity at the same time as helping to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels healthy.

Train well

Unlike a friend or colleague, your furry friend won’t moan about the weather and cancel on you or slacken off the pace, so let them take the lead. Make them your running or cycling companion.

Up the pace

Keep your dog’s tail wagging and your heart pounding by outrunning your dog’s pace and playing games like Frisbee and tug of war to keep both of your hearts healthy.

Keep going

Whether it’s your own, a neighbour’s, or a new found foster dog, if you have a four legged friend at your heels, make sure you journey the streets come rain or shine, grabbing the lead to a healthy heart and keep going every day!

Heart Research UK
Proud to stand out from the crowd, Heart Research UK is the charity dedicated to your heart. They inspire and invest in pioneering medical research, ground-breaking training and education, and in communities to improve their heart health for themselves. For over 50 years they have driven advancements in the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease to benefit patients as soon as possible.


For more healthy tips, recipes and advice, visit heartresearch.org.uk