Fitness

Do you need more reasons to own a dog? Researchers say it might save your life, and not just if you fall down a well and need Lassie to get help: There’s a 31 percent reduced risk of death from heart attack or stroke among people who own a dog, suggests a study by the American Heart Association. The Swedish study linking heart health and dogs was published in the association’s journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

The study built on previous research about the negative effects of social isolation and the lack of physical activity with new, canine-focused research. The study’s authors combed through Swedish health records via the Swedish National Patient Register and found nearly 182,000 heart attack victims and 155,000 ischemic stroke victims, all aged 40 to 85 with incidents between 2001 and 2012. Dog owners comprised only 5–6 percent of each group, meaning that the majority of these cardiovascular incidents occurred among non-owners.

An analysis from Mount Sinai Hospital declared that dogs were due at least some of the credit because they encourage daily social interaction and frequent physical activity. Dogs require regular walks, which keeps you in better shape, plus their unconditional love and endless affection help decrease depression. Compared to non-owners, dog owners also have a 24 percent reduced risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a 65 percent reduced risk of mortality after heart attack. If you’re looking to bolster your heart health and longevity, maybe you’re due for a visit to your local shelter.

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Former NFL star Rob Gronkowski is ready for his next chapter. After putting up Hall of Fame-level numbers for the New England Patriots and winning multiple Super Bowl championships along the way, Gronkowski retired from football at the age of 29 after nine seasons.

But just because Gronkowski’s done with his football career, it hasn’t kept him from focusing on his fitness and staying in shape—something Gronk was known for during his playing days.

“Things have changed for me in my workouts,” Gronkowski told Men’s Journal. “With how things are now, I focus a lot on taking care of my body. I’ll try and do a lot of low-impact work and make sure I’m recovering from my injuries. During my NFL career, it was more heavy lifting and working with free weights. That put a lot on my body and now I’m trying to stay healthier. But apart from that, my mindset in what I bring to each workout hasn’t changed for me.

Gronkowski spoke with Men’s Journal about some of his favorite gear, his essential workouts, why he loves smoothies, and more. Check out the full MJ5 archives for more interviews with Chris Evans, Russell Wilson, Michael Strahan, Tony Hawk, P.K. Subban, Ewan McGregor, and more.

On his favorite workouts: ​”I gravitate towards interval training. I think it relates more to what I want to do. I am not a long-distance guy. I love to move from one station to the next and take a little break between each before going hard. Something like a series of four exercises where you go from one to the other, like the push sled to plyo jumps to bands to sprints. Then I take a little break and do it again. With those workouts, you are getting the cardio and strength at the same time and doing movements that relate to the game and how I want to build my workouts.”

On his favorite healthy drink: “​​​I love smoothies. Just blending a bunch of fruits and veggies up and having that. They’re healthy for you and have been great for my overall nutrition.”

On his favorite piece of gear: ​”With everything I am doing for recovery now, I like the Theragun. Those things are awesome.”

On his favorite meal to make: “I love​ grilling up some chicken wings. I’m from Buffalo, so I love chicken wings. But I think they are even better on the grill! Aside from that, I eat a lot cleaner now. It’s a lot of fruits and vegetables and other foods that reduce inflammation, like turmeric. It really makes a huge difference for me and my body.”

On his favorite travel spot: “I love traveling, especially out of the country. A good spot for me is Jamaica, being able to indulge in their fruit that they have there. It’s amazing how natural it is and just how good it is; just how sweet it tastes. Especially their mango—it’s just insane. And the fish and seafood are incredible.”

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