#1 Move More

Have you heard?   Sitting is the new smoking.  It’s said that weight-bearing bodies need to move throughout the day to for good brain health.  The brain needs proprioceptive data sent from the body to the brain about where it is in space.  But movement can also help prevent and treat diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, hyper tension, osteoporosis and depression.  It’s associated with reducing the risk of developing cancer.  So start your new year by moving more yourself, and getting your pets moving too!

#2 Get Outside More

This one is harder in winter, at least where we are in the Northeast…but it’s so worth it, just layer up.  Being outside is good for every body….canine, feline, and human. But’s not only about fresh air and sunshine, already great reasons.

It’s also about stimulating your senses, which send signals to your brain, forming synapses, improving memory, and generally juicing up cognitive functioning.

‘Umwelt‘ is a German word that refers to the sensory world.  Think of it as the environment around you, as experienced through your senses.  Animals, we know, have incredibly acute sensory perception.  Their ‘umwelt‘ is much richer than ours. When they’re in the snow, grass, trees and trails, rich with smells, texture, sounds and for some animals, colors, they can tap into their most natural selves, and perceive their world in all its depth and richness. That’s got to feel good, right?

Turns out it’s also really good for their brains.  We humans have a different umwelt, but similar payback when our senses are stimulated on by a brisk walk on the beach or in the woods.

Being in nature has been found to have other health benefits, like easing anxiety and depression, lowering tension, reducing fatigue from overstimulation, as well as even helping to prevent near-sightedness.  So suit up, and get outside!

#3 More Whole Food

Whole foods are minimally processed and nutrient dense.  They are one of our most important front line defenses against diseases like stroke, heart disease, obesity, and some forms of cancer.  Whole foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, pre-biotics, beneficial bacteria, polyphenols and a whole world of phyto-nutrients.  Many whole foods are naturally anti-inflammatory, which means they help fight and prevent chronic and auto-immune diseases. Whole foods are more filling, and more hydrating.  Whole foods boost the gut biome, now known to be the core of our immune system. The benefits are so powerful – why wait?  For your animals, start with their current diet, and add something whole on top, meat or dairy-based or plant-based. Try bowl boosters from your local pet supply, in the form of frozen raw, freeze-dried or air-dried.   Moisten their meals with raw goat’s milk (available powdered too) or bone broth (frozen or shelf-stable and available in multiple proteins, not just chicken or beef). Experiment to see how they respond.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of plain non-fat yogurt from your fridge, or make a slurry out of fresh fruits and vegetables like broccoli, kale, apples, green peas, blueberries and carrots, and pour some of it into their meals.

#4 Play More

It’s not all fun and games…play is actually a very serious subject!  It has a huge impact on your pet’s brain development, as well as the development of important social and physical/motor skills, confidence and bonds with their humans.  All of this applies to cats as well as dogs (and humans!).  It’s critical for relief of stress, anxiety and boredom.  It stimulates their senses of sight and smell and their innate hunting instincts. And of course, play brings all the benefits of movement too, like regulating metabolism, improving circulation, lubricating joints and more.

#5 Learn Something New

Pick a simple trick, and teach to your dog or your cat. Why?  They’ll love the interaction, attention and opportunity to bond with you.  The stimulation is great for mental health, and for developing cognitive abilities and motor skills.  Encouraging them to problem solve builds confidence and creative thinking, which can really impact behavior and emotional well-being.  The communication involved builds trust, and the physical movement needed can enhance coordination, flexibility and muscle tone.  And all this applies to us humans too.  To teach something new, we have to learn and understand what the trick involves, and how to present it so that they understand.  So you’ll also be learning something new.  Schedule a time so that it actually happens, and once they learn it, keep repeating knowing each time it will reinforce all the positive impacts.