Running, any amount of it, has been found to significantly lower the risk of early death.
While the World Health Organization has always suggested that adults should take part in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity), you can actually live longer by exercising less than that.
The research, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, conducted studies involving 232,149 people by tracking their health between 5.5 and 35 years.
When the data was reviewed, it found that running lowered the risk of death from all causes by 27 percent. Both cardiovascular disease and cancer saw a decrease with runners. What's even more interesting is that running once a week or less for 50 minutes still had great benefits for life longevity.
When it comes down to it, researchers say any amount is better than no running. According to the study, "...increased rates of participation in running, regardless of its dose, would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity."
Why running is so beneficial, however, is still a mystery as it's only an observational study. But, between these findings and the studies that found that sitting too long can kill you, now we know any type of movement is beneficial for health.
Now, get going and dust off those running shoes stat.
