Joggers Live Longer

A new Danish survey says that jogging can add six years to your life. "The results of our research allows us to definitively answer the question of whether jogging is good for your health," Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the long-term Copenhagen City Heart Study, said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology. "We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity. The good news is that you don't actually need to do that much to reap the benefits."
The researchers compared the morality of joggers and non-joggers who took part in the population study of 20,000 people aged 20 to 93 that began in 1976. In making their comparison, they asked 1,116 male joggers and 762 female joggers about their jogging routine, including how fast and how long they jogged weekly.

"With participants having such a wide age span we felt that a subjective scale of intensity was the most appropriate approach," explained Schnohr, who is based at Bispebjerg University Hospital, in Copenhagen.
In the follow-up period of up to 35 years, the study found that 10,158 non-joggers and 122 joggers died. This was a 44% drop in the risk of death for male and female joggers. Researchers concluded that male joggers extended their lives by 6.2 years and women by 5.6 years. Jogging at a slow pace for one to two and a half hours a week provided the most significant benefits.
"You should aim to feel a little breathless, but not very breathless. The relationship appears much like alcohol intakes. Mortality is lower in people reporting moderate jogging, than non-joggers or those undertaking extreme levels of exercise," said Schnohr.
Other health benefits and improvements of jogging researchers noted were: oxygen intake, insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, heart function, bone density, immune function, psychological function, lower blood pressure, reduce platelet aggression and prevent obesity. The improved overall mental health may be that people have more social interactions while they're out jogging.

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