Long distance running is in. Everyone and their grandmother are cutting loose, stretching and headed to the tracks. It all seems to make sense; multiple studies have shown that exercise improves health outcomes and longevity.
The oldest marathon runner in the world, ‘turbaned tornado’ Fauja Singh recently turned 104 and is still going strong. In a world where everyone is trying to find the elixir of life, running seems to be a sure bet.
But, hold on to your horses (or your running shoes); according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that moderate joggers had a lower risk of dying than strenuous joggers.
They followed healthy joggers and sedentary non-joggers for 12 years as part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study and found that when compared with sedentary non-joggers, 1 to 2.4 hours of jogging per week was associated with the lowest risk of dying.
Surprisingly, strenuous joggers (those with a fast pace of more than 7 miles per hour and either >4h of jogging per week or ≥2.5 h of jogging per week with a frequency of >3 times per week) had a similar risk of death as people who were sedentary.
So, how does this explain the phenomenon that is Fauja Singh? Multiple factors go into a long life: genetics, diet and lifestyle to name a few. And let us not forget that before he started running at the young age of 89, he was a farmer and chances are that he had a very active lifestyle. Now, couch potatoes need not rejoice: moderate joggers had a significant survival benefit over people who were sedentary. And remember, this is only one study and population studies can be open to biases, important that this study is taken with a pinch of salt. So, get active, get out, get fit: Bhaag India Bhaag!
Dr. Shubham Pant is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City. He’s a fitness junkie who loves to debate health policy - one article at a time.
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