A new study from Denmark brings good news. The study suggests that a light jog a few times a week may help you live longer in contrast to running too hard. So there is some truth in the old adage “Slow, and steady wins the race”. If you are running too hard, you may want to to take it a little easy. Read further to find out more about the study and whether slow jogging might be better for you.
Researchers analyzed information from about 1,000 healthy joggers ages 20 to 86, and about 400 people who were healthy, but did not jog, and were mostly sedentary.
The analysis showed that light joggers were about 78 percent less likely to die over the 12-year study than those who were sedentary. “Light joggers” were defined as those who ran at a speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h) a few times a week, for less than 2.5 hours per week total
In contrast, those who jogged strenuously were just as likely to die during the study period as those who were sedentary, according to theresearch published today (Feb. 2) in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Strenuous joggers were defined as those who ran at a speed of more than 7 mph (11 km/h), for more than four hours per week.
The finding “suggests there may be an upper limit for exercise dosing that is optimal for health benefits,” study co-author Dr. Peter Schnohr, of the Copenhagen City Heart Study and Frederiksberg Hospital in Denmark, said in a statement. “If your goal is to decrease risk of death and improve life expectancy, jogging a few times a week at a moderate pace is a good strategy. Anything more is not just unnecessary, it may be harmful.”
Dr. Karol Watson, co-director of preventive cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed, and said that many previous studies have produced similar findings: A moderate amount of jogging is linked with the best outcomes in terms of a longer life span, but when people run too far for too long, the health benefits start to drop off.
“[Humans] weren’t meant to do mountain biking or marathon running every day … and you don’t have to” to live longer, said Watson, who was not involved in the study.
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Source: livescience.com