It's Official - Runners Live Longer!

Innately, I've always felt my moderate "sort the problems of the day out" runs were doing something to increase my longevity, but not, necesssarily, my performance. And those repeat quarter-miles on the track at mile race pace were increasing my Vo2 max, lactate threshold, and my body's ability to handle pain - but not lengthening my lifespan. In fact, many times, they felt like they were shortening it, considerably! Those feelings were backed up by a recent study by the Iowa State University's Kiniesiology Departemnt, which studied the exercise routines of over 55,000 people, ages 18-100, for 15 years. It found that runners had a 30% lower death rate from all causes, and a 45% lower rate of death from cardiovascular issues. You didn't have to run too far, very fast, or extremely frequently, either. The longevity boost helped everyone who ran even a couple of days a week, at paces slower than 10-minute miles (6.0 on a treadmill), and with less than six miles recorded though a seven-day period. There were no differences by age, sex, Body Mass Index, health conditions, or cigarette or alcohol use. Also, the joggers and recreational runners (say, 2 miles every other day at just above conversational pace) got as much longevity benefits as the serious runners who ran much harder, or longer. It's unknown why the more hard-core runners don't get additional benefits, but the researchers theorize that more intense running may somehow damage the heart, over the long-term. I've also read, separately, that very intense exercise can release free radicals in your body that may increase risk for cancer. The key to longevity was consistency, in the long-term. The runners who saw the most benefit had been at it at least six years, and those individuals had a 50% less chance of death from stroke or heart disease. I don't feel those "problem solving" runs I mentioned above will do much to improve my 5-K time, but it's good to know they could be extending my life. Get out and enjoy running, at any speed!