Yahoo Lifestyle Gymnast Aly Raisman Explains How Her Rescue Dog Has Helped Her Mental Health
Retired gymnast Aly Raisman says her rescue dog of four years, named Mylo, has had a positive impact on her mental health.
The six time Olympic medalist spoke exclusively with People Magazine about how Mylo is such a big part of who she is.
People Magazine has the exclusive with Raisman, age 30, who was quoted as saying, "I always joke with my friends, I don't even remember what I did or who I was before I had Mylo because he is just such a big part of who I am and what I do on a daily basis."
The article goes on to say, "No matter what happens in my life, I feel like if I can come home to Mylo, it really feels like home and he feels very much like a safe place for me."
I think so many dog parents feel the same way and credit a lot of our own pups for helping with our mental health and anxiety. It's hard to feel stressed when you are cuddling your own pup.
How Dogs Help Our Mental Health
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Any dog parent can tell you that our fur babies offer unconditional love and companionship. Our dogs are thrilled to see us when we come home, cheer us up when we are having a bad day, and studies have shown that even petting random dogs can have benefits to both our physical and mental health.
Dogs have a naturally calming effect that helps reduce stress and anxiety, which is why they are used in hospitals as therapy dogs and why some colleges even offer dogs to help with the stress students feel during finals week.
Psychology Today reports that a University of Edinburgh study found the young adults who had generalized anxiety disorder spoke of how their pets helped reduce anxiety symptoms by promoting a sense of mindfulness, allowing them to focus on the present, and distracting them from their worries. For participants who had specific anxiety problems, pets helped reduce their symptoms by providing a sense of safety. For example, one of the female participants described how her dog helped her to feel safe when she was home alone.
Interacting with dogs, walking them, petting them, playing with them can lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, helping reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Petting a dog can even lower your blood pressure.
Dogs also need regular exercise like walks and playtime, which encourages their owners to stay active when walking them around the block or throwing a ball for them. Physical activity is known to improve mood, reduce stress, and boost overall mental health.
Man's best friend does wonder for both of our physical and metal health!
