Dog Owners Get More Exercise Than Other People, Study Finds

A new study finds that dog owners tend to get more exercise than other people.

The research indicates that dog owners are four times as likely to meet physical activity guidelines, The New York Times reports.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool and other organizations, included about 700 participants in Great Britain. It was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Dog owners tended to spend nearly 300 minutes per week walking. Non-dog-owners averaged about 100 minutes.

Guidelines call for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

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Carri Westgarth, who led the study, doesn’t necessarily recommend getting a dog just for the exercise benefits.

Westgarth told The Times: “A dog is not a tool just to make us more physically active. But if you feel that you have the time, inclination and finances to take on the responsibility of having a dog, they are a great motivator to get out walking when you otherwise would have made excuses not to.”

Read more at The New York Times