Jogging less than once a week cuts the risk of early death, says study

EVEN an occasional gentle jog can dramatically reduce the risk of premature death, according to new research.

The research finds that increasing the amount of running does not equate to a further lowering of the risk of premature death.

The study found that running just once a week or less frequently, for less than 50 minutes each time, and at a pace lower than six miles (eight km) an hour was linked to significant health benefits.

The researchers from Australia, Thailand and Finland analysed results from 14 studies of 233,149 people, whose health was tracked for between 5.5 and 35 years. During this time, 25,951 participants died.

When the study data was pooled, any amount of running was associated with a 27% lower risk of death from all causers over the period of study for both sexes, compared to non-runners.

And it was linked to a 30% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, as well as a 23% lower risk of death from cancer.

The researchers concluded: “Increased rates of participation in running, regardless of its dose would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity.”

However the analysis, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that upping the running “dose” was not associated with a further lowering of the risk of death from any cause.

“Any amount of running, even just once a week, is better than no running, but higher doses of running may not necessarily be associated with greater mortality benefits,” the report said.

The authors said that while vigorous exertion has been linked to sudden cardiac death, the mortality benefit of running outweighs the risk, but they cautioned that Doctors should decide on a case-by-case basis whether to prescribe the activity.

They also acknowledged that the study could not establish cause and that the number of studies was small, with methods varying considerably.

They said future research should utilise the data held by activity trackers to assess running habits and the benefits. – skynews.com