Runners may live up to three years longer than non-runners.
We already know the many health benefits of cardiovascular exercise, such as running. Running, and other similar exercises, lowers the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular health issues. However, a new study released this year has found a new benefit – life longevity. In fact, the study reveals that runners live up to three years longer than non-runners. What better benefit to strap on your running shoes and hit the pavement or trails than living longer?
Runners Have A Longer Lifespan
According to the study, runners have a 25-40% reduced rate of premature death. Furthermore, the study found that because of the numerous health benefits from running, many runners are more likely to outlive non-runners by three years or more. This was the case whether people in the study ran slowly or sporadically.
It’s even more amazing that no other form of exercise offered such health benefits as running, such as increasing longevity. Even running as little as five minutes a day offered longer lifespans. With such results, the researchers determined that if nonrunners took part in the sport, there would have been 16% fewer deaths and 25% fewer heart attacks.
Even those skeptics who believed that running long distances could have the opposite effect were proven wrong. In fact, researchers found that hour for hour, running adds more time to a person’s life than it consumers – a huge relief for many marathoners and ultra-marathoners. Researchers discovered that for every hour of running, runners added seven hours of life expectancy.
Why Does Running Give You More Time?
Researchers don’t know the exact reason why running increases your lifespan more than any other exercise. However, they do think that it’s due to its health benefits. Running has been known for its effect on blood pressure and heart-related diseases, along with fighting obesity. These things are common risk factors for premature deaths. Furthermore, running has been proven to lower the risk of strokes.
According to a 2014 study, runners were 45% less likely to have suffered from a cardiovascular problem, such as heart disease, stroke, heart attack, or even cardiac death. Furthermore, the more regularly you run, the less likely it is to suffer from such health problems. In the study, researchers found that those who had been running regularly for at least six years lowered their risk of a cardiovascular-related death by 50%.
How To Reap The Benefits Of Running Safely
Running will only become more popular now that researchers have found that it will add more years to your life. However, newcomers to the sport need to be careful in how they approach it. Running sporadically puts you at a higher risk of injury, as does going out too hard and fast. It’s important to ease yourself into running, especially distance and speed. To keep from injury, pace yourself and wear the right gear. It’s also important to keep a steady running schedule so that your body can adjust and build strength.
Run Your Best
Even if you’re just running to stay fit, it’s important to run efficiently to avoid injury. Not only does running efficiently contribute to your progress, but it also makes the sport more enjoyable. Learning to efficiently run is difficult without the help of a trained professional. Physical therapists and athletic trainers that specialize in running can help you with form, pace, stride, and even gear. Contact a physical therapist today is you want to run your best or set up a training plan to live longer.
