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man running with dog outside
(Photo: AngelPietro/Getty; Grainy filter: Ayana Underwood/Canva)

Running with Your Dog Is Good for Your Health, According to Science

Who better to hold you accountable than your pup?

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from RUN | Powered by 国产吃瓜黑料
man running with dog outside
(Photo: AngelPietro/Getty; Grainy filter: Ayana Underwood/Canva)

New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! .

We all know that running makes humans healthier. Lace up a pair of shoes and, before you know it, you鈥檙e experiencing a boosted , stronger body, higher bone density, and enhanced overall wellness. In many ways, running provides athletes with a fountain of youth.

However, running with your dog further maximizes those perks, allowing you to capitalize even more on your time on the trail. It鈥檚 easy to write this idea off, claiming that , so, of course, we鈥檇 love our doggy trail runs more than our solo runs. However, research shows that owning and recreating with a dog not only boosts mental health but also enhances physical strength and fitness. After looking into the details, here鈥檚 what else we know about the benefits of running with your dog.

1. Dogs Create Accountability to Get You Out the Door聽

A man runs in the snow with his black dog
(Photo: Jonathan Beverly)

that spending time outside has largely positive impacts on the human mind, helping to calm anxiety and depression while boosting concentration and attention. It turns out that owning a dog increases the amount of time that you spend outside. In fact, dog owners have been shown to spend the amount of time exercising than non-dog owners. Plus, your running gets a huge boost when you grab your pet and hit the trails.

British runner and coach Holly Stables, a former elite international marathoner and mountain runner, says that sometimes the UK鈥檚 weather makes her want to train inside, but being a dog owner forces her to get outside. 鈥淪ometimes I want to go on the treadmill,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ut I can鈥檛 because I have to take the dog out.鈥

She added that running with your dog is likely to make the pet stronger, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Once they reach that peak level of fitness, they need to more regularly blow off steam, making you even more accountable to getting outside.

Stables says that her dog is as excited to get out the door as she is (more on this later), a sentiment her dog conveys by sitting at the bottom of the stairs while she puts on her running shoes, which makes it really difficult to choose to leave him at home. However, finding the balance between taking your dog on a run and prioritizing your training can be tricky.

A dog runs along a high mountain trail
(Photo: Zo毛 Rom)

鈥淚 think having a dog to run with, especially if you run a few times a week, is perfect. If you鈥檙e training really hard, it can be tricky,鈥 she says.

For some runners, owning a dog might be just what they need to create a regular routine. Those who operate on a strict training schedule might find balancing doggy runs with training to be challenging. Or, in Stables鈥檚 case, sometimes she鈥檒l take her dog out for the first few miles before dropping him off at home and continuing her journey.

Jeffrey Stern, a California-based runner and coach, agrees that owning dogs is more likely to get him out the door. 鈥淚n my experience, most dogs want to get out and play and walk. It definitely keeps you active,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he daily walk, or even the daily double, is pretty non-negotiable. One of my dogs doesn鈥檛 like the rain; the other doesn鈥檛 mind the rain. But they鈥檝e got to get out. So even if we鈥檙e not running, we鈥檙e walking or hiking. That鈥檚 definitely one of the benefits of having dogs鈥攜ou can only be lazy to a point.鈥

Runner Jeffrey Stern with his dogs. (Photo: Les Morales)

2. Dogs Can Make You a Faster Runner

Dog breeds and personalities vary widely, which means the effects of running with them may vary, too. Some dogs may be willing to sustain a fast pace for extended periods, while others may struggle with pacing or refuse to increase their speed.

Stern finds that his dogs increase the fun factor, and they often drive him to run faster. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 run with them every day, but on the days I do, we鈥檙e definitely moving,鈥 he says. They add to his motivation, which can be a helpful tool on speed runs. 鈥淥n days when I want to run fast, I鈥檒l take them. They kind of know one speed until they drop (which is kind of the opposite of my training principle). I don鈥檛 think pacing is their strong suit.鈥

Stern鈥檚 dog鈥檚 relentlessness can be both a powerful tool and an Achilles鈥 heel. While the quality helps him increase his pace in some situations, it can be difficult to get his dogs to slow down their pace, which is why he鈥檒l leave them home on moderate runs.

3. Having a Dog Improves Your Heart Health

Dog lovers almost immediately experience the feel-good release of oxytocin upon seeing a pup. Being around dogs not only makes many people happier, but it also has a positive impact on their cardiovascular health.

A that evaluated 3.4 million people between the ages of 40 and 80 with no history of heart disease found that dog owners had a 15 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, dog owners are less likely to die of heart-related conditions like strokes and heart attacks.

Running with your dog is likely to make the pet stronger, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Once they reach that peak level of fitness, they need to more regularly blow off steam, making you even more accountable to getting outside.

Not only do dogs seem to have a direct impact on heart disease, but they鈥檝e also to decrease heart rate and blood pressure in humans, meaning that they likely reduce stress and anxiety in conjunction with reducing heart disease risk factors.

Many of these benefits are reciprocal, meaning that dogs that run also experience a reduction in cardiovascular disease, too, while boosting joint health, respiratory function, and immune strength. And since dogs are also highly attuned to their owners, reducing your own anxiety and stress levels can help you to lower your dog鈥檚 levels, as well.

4. Dogs Experience Runner鈥檚 High, Too

Two dogs run toward the camera
(Photo: Jeffrey Stern)

You鈥檙e not the only one who experiences the runner鈥檚 high. Dogs also experience this phenomenon, according to a study that was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Like the human endocannabinoid high, the dog鈥檚 runner鈥檚 high can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, leaving them in a better state of both physical and mental health, which can lead to longer lives. Additionally, running with your dog not only makes them feel good, but it also seems to increase the human-pup bond.

While, admittedly, there isn鈥檛 a wealth of research that evaluates whether people who are more inclined to own a dog are simply more active, there does seem to be a link between dog ownership and wellness. The benefits of running with your dog extend beyond the experience of joy. They encapsulate everything from enhanced fitness and health to more feel-good chemicals and positive mental health outcomes.

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Lead Photo: AngelPietro/Getty; Grainy filter: Ayana Underwood/Canva

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