When it comes to cardio exercises, specifically running, even a little something is better than nothing at all. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology has released a new study, which notes that running even five minutes a day has long-lasting health benefits.
A recent New York Times article focused on the study that recorded 55,137 healthy men and women aged 18-100 and discovered that heart disease was among the leading causes of death. Those of the patients who were runners, however, experienced a 30% lower risk of heart disease when compared to non-runners and their risk of dying from heart disease was 45 percent lower than for non-runners, even when researchers adjusted for being overweight or for smoking. As a group, runners gained about three extra years of life compared to those adults who never ran.
What’s more interesting about this study is that the benefits of running did not vary with how long the individual actually spent running. Those who ran 150 minutes or more a week did not have significantly lower death rates than those who ran only 5-10 minutes a day.
While the study did not directly look at how and why running affected the risk of premature death, researchers found that, in general, runners had lower risks of dying than did individuals who engaged in walking and other more moderate activities.
Before embarking on a new workout plan, experts recommend that you consult with a physician. Running or partaking in other strenuous activity for just five short minutes a day can lead to great, long-lasting results later in life.
