Need motivation for exercise - Get a dog!

[James Marusek 5,244]

Researches in Australia (Dr. C. Westgarth from the University of Liverpol, Leahurst, Australia, and colleagues) looked at the relationship between owning a dog and the exercise one gets by walking a dog. What they found was “Forty-five percent of owners reported that their dog ‘very often (3+ per week)’ ‘encouraged them to walk’ in the past month and 66 % of owners reported that they agreed with the statement ‘Having my dog(s) makes me walk more’. “

They also found that "a number of factors could influence the likelihood of an owner walking his or her dog. The dog-related factors that significantly increased the probability of frequent walks was the size of the dog, with medium/large dogs more likely to be walked; so was a high degree of attachment to the dog, and the person answering the question being most responsible for dog-walking. Also, believing that the dog enjoys going for a walk was associated with a greater likelihood of walking, as was believing that walking would keep the dog healthy and decrease barking. Conversely, if the dog was old or sick, the probability of walking frequently was lower, as one might expect."

http://www.acsh.org/news/2017/06/10/lassie-effect-can-motivate-exercise-11398