Getting Out and About With Fido

"We found evidence that dog acquisition improves objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns within the first few months of dog ownership."
Australian Researchers

"Dog ownership is of public health interest due to the potential to promote health-enhancing physical activity (PA) and improved cardiovascular outcomes. Evidence suggests dog ownership is associated with lower risk of death, and a lower risk of cardiovascular conditions at least in single-person households, where the participant may be more highly obligated to dog walk. It is recommended that adults undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) per week, but this is achieved by only 66% of men and 58% of women in the England, and under 50% of US adults. A 2013 review concluded considerable evidence that dog owners were more physically active than people without a dog with small to moderate effect sizes. However findings from some studies have been inconsistent, mainly because some owners do not walk with their dogs. Nevertheless, considering the number of households that own dogs (e.g 24% UK, 48% USA, and 39% Australia), even small effect sizes might contribute considerable additional physical activity at the population level provided, of course, that the dogs are actually walked."
Nature.com Scientific Reports 

A team of Australian researchers interested in discovering greater details relating to dog ownership and its effect on fitness and wellness of those whose households they are in, put together three groups of non-dog owners, soon-to-be dog owners, and those people motivated to bring a dog into their home, willing to delay the event until the study was completed, and a last group with no interest in having a dog companion.

All three of the groups totalling 71 participants were alike in characteristics relating to gender, smoking habit and alcohol consumption, along with minutes spent walking weekly, sedentary behaviour, and blood pressure. Age alone set them apart -- in that the group with no interest in bringing a dog into their homes happened to be 13.8 years senior than the groups of prospective dog owners.

Once initial baseline metrics had been assembled, check-ins occurred three and eight months apart with participants being asked to log the number of walking minutes weekly that reflected their activity levels. The collected data revealed that new dog owners accounted for an additional 93 minutes of exercise weekly during the first three months of the study, while eight months later time spent walking the dog dropped to 50 minutes per week.

Accelerdmeter data saw those minutes translated to approximately 2,589 steps daily at three months, and at eight months, 1,396 steps. New owners were seen to perform eight more sit-to-stand transitions daily at three months and 4.6 sit-to-stand movements at eight months. No change in blood pressure was seen in any of the three groups.

According to a study published in an American Heart Association journal, a 24 percent reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 31 percent lower risk of death by heart attack or stroke is linked to dog ownership. Realistically, researchers are well aware that not all dogs nor people whose companions they are can be committed to long walks. But it has been proven that even minor exercise periods of ten minutes several times daily can effectively boost health.

Exercise is vital to a dog's health, but it is also extremely important in the overall health condition of people as well. Benefits are seen in people who have not ordinarily exerted themselves physically who acquire a canine companion and begin to go out for walks of any duration; turning from no exercise to some level of exercise is immensely beneficial.

The presence of a dog as a companion in anyone's life has been linked to reduced stress, anxiety and depression and less feelings of loneliness. As a byproduct of pet companions, being out and about with a dog promotes opportunities to socialize with others, either other dog owners, or neighbours one encounters while out walking. The combination of adding physical activity to daily routine, allied with an increase in positive moods and socialization speak for the potential wellness quotient in pet companionship.