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No-one relishes the concept of getting older. But it’s a fact of life – and simply happens. There is, however, good news for those who keep fit.
It has long been known that regular aerobic exercise is good for the heart and body – and studies have shown that people who are fit are more likely to live longer.
Now new research reveals that running regularly can actually slow the effects of aging. A new study in America found that elderly joggers are half as likely as non-runners to die prematurely from conditions such as cancer.
The researchers at Stanford University Medical Center also discovered that runners who continue to exercise into later life are much less likely to suffer disabilities.
The study looked at 500 older runners – all in their early 50s at the start of the research – over a period of two decades, and then compared their health to a similar group of non-runners.
After 19 years, 34% of the non-runners had died compared to only 15% of the runners.
Both groups did become more disabled with age, but for the runners the onset of disability started an average of 16 years later.
As the runners and non-runners entered their ninth decade, the health gap became increasingly wide.
Why Is Running Good For Health In Old Age?
Running helps to slow the rate of heart and artery-related deaths. The effective aerobic exercise is also linked to fewer early deaths from cancer, and neurological disease.
While many non-runners or anti-runners like to believe that running can actually cause health problems, such as worn-out knees and hips, research found that there is no evidence that runners are more likely to suffer osteoarthritis or need total knee replacements than non-runners.
How Much Running Do You Need To Do?
At the start of the study, the runners were running on average for four hours each week. After two decades this figure had reduced to 76 minutes. But the runners were still reporting health benefits.
But Many Older People Do Not Exercise Enough
Figures from Age Concern show that more than 90% of people in the UK over 75 fail to meet international guidelines of half-an-hour moderate intensity exercise at least five times a week.
No Time Like The Present To Start Running
It’s easier to keep on running into older age than it is to take up running in later life. Just half an hour of running a few times a week is enough to improve your health and to hold back the years. Why not start today?
By FionaOutdoors
