Pets can play a significant role in promoting healthy aging by providing physical, emotional, and social benefits. Here’s how:

Physical Health Benefits

• Encourage Exercise: Dogs, in particular, encourage physical activity through regular walks, which can help maintain mobility, cardiovascular health and overall fitness.
• Lower Blood Pressure and Stress: Interacting with pets has been shown to reduce stress hormones and lower blood pressure, which can decrease the risk of heart disease.

Mental and Emotional Well-Being

• Reduce Loneliness and Depression: Pets provide companionship, which can be especially important for older adults who live alone or have lost a loved one.
• Boost Mood: Engaging with pets releases oxytocin and serotonin, improving mood.

Social Benefits

• Increase Social Interaction: Walking a dog or visiting a pet-friendly park can lead to more social encounters, reducing isolation.
• Strengthen Community Connections: Pets can help older adults feel more engaged with their community through pet-owner meetups, therapy pet programs or volunteering.

While pets can greatly enhance aging, it’s important to consider the right pet for an individual’s lifestyle, physical ability and living situation. Low-maintenance pets like cats, birds, or even robotic pets can also provide companionship and health benefits without requiring extensive care.

Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL)

This exercise class helps you increase strength, balance and fitness, and incorporate active movement into your everyday life.

Benefits of the class:

• Become stronger, have better balance and feel better 
• Stay active, independent and prevent falls 
• Learn from experienced instructors who teach exercises that have been tested with older adults 
• Make new friends
• Provide support and encouragement to your peers

April 1 - June 19

Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Time: 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Location: Online
Class Leader: Gail Johnson
Provider: CommonBond Communities