Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that running, even in very small amounts, provides similar health benefits to those who run regularly throughout the week.
For their study, researchers examined more than 50,000 participants between the ages of 18 and 100 over a period of 15 years. Each individual was asked about his or her exercise habits, and 24 percent said running was oftentimes part of their routine. Participants were asked to report their average weekly running duration, but instead of tracking health benefits by how much running a person did, researchers simply compared runners to non-runners.
They found that regardless of whether a person ran 30 minutes a week of 4 hours a week, their risk of death was about 30 percent lower than non-runners. Additionally, runners were 45 percent less likely to suffer death from heart disease. Runners also lived an average of three years longer than their non-running counterparts.
“This study tells us that doing some exercise is clearly better than doing none at all,” said Clyde Yancy, a cardiologist with the American Health Association.
In addition to lowered death risk, running can help combat other health issues, like:
- Obesity
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
“Fitness largely negates adverse effects of other cardiological risk factors,” said Carl Lavie, co-author of the study. “Fitness may be the strongest predictor of survival.”
Lavie said ideally individuals would exercise for 30-45 minutes a day, but even a 5-minute run will reduce mortality risk.
“(The study gives) comforting information for people whose frequent excuse for not running is they don’t have enough time,” Lavie said.
Dr. Silverman comments
This article brings to mind some health advice I read from Chris Pratt, best known for his role as Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation. When promoting his new movie Guardians of the Galaxy, Pratt was asked how he was so successful in sliming down for some of movie roles. He said:
“6 months seems like a long time unless you’re looking backwards. What were you doing in February? Seems like yesterday. That was six months ago. So if you’re someone who was been struggling with their weight their whole life, all you have to do is just a few things everyday and remain consistent, and time will fly just as fast as it flies whether you’re working hard or not. So if you just cut the crap out of your diet and spend an hour a day doing something physical that will make you sweat, six months will pass by, you will feel better mentally, physical, spirituality; It’s all tied together.”
Pratt summed up in one paragraph what I’ve been saying on this blog for over two years. Just get moving. Once you start working out you’ll be like a rock rolling down a hill. You’ll be looking for that exercise high or that next compliment from a friend. That’s what this study says, too. Exercise, even in small amounts, can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellness.
Related source: Yahoo, USA Today
