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Anti Ageing Benefits of Running
Recent research carried out by the Stanford University Medical Center has revealed that running has some anti-ageing benefits. We have always known that running was a good way to improve fitness and building muscular endurance, but it was not known what impact it had on long term health. The good news is that it can add years to the your life, and improve the quality of life in old age.
The research revealed that elderly runners on average experience 50% fewer cases of fatal illnesses such as cancer. The study followed over 500 runners, all 50 years old or older at the start of the study, for a period of 20 years. After 19 years, 34% of the non-runners had died, compared to only 15% of the runners. Also, although disability affected both groups, on average runners did not develop serious disability until 16 years after the non-runners. So running, as well as increasing lifespan, can also increase quality of life by 16 years.
Once the subjects reach their 80’s, the differences in health and well-being increased further. Running not only reduced the rate of heart, artery and respiratory related deaths, but also of cancer, neurological disease and other infections.
Also, strength and quality of knee joints were examined. It has long been assumed that long term running damages knees, and is not good physically for the body. However, the research showed that there was no evidence that runners were more likely to suffer osteoarthritis or need total knee replacements than non-runners. So people refusing to run on the grounds that it is bad for the knees now have no excuse – if your knees are going to fail you, it will happen regardless if you run or not!
Lead research Professor James Fries, emeritus professor of medicine at Stanford, said: “The study has a very pro-exercise message. If you had to pick one thing to make people healthier as they age, it would be aerobic exercise. The health benefits of exercise are greater than we thought.”
Age Concern, the UK charity which promotes the well-being of all older people, says that many older people do not exercise enough. Currently more than 90% of people in the UK over 75 years do not meet the international guidelines of half-an-hour of moderate exercise at least five times a week.
Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: “This research re-confirms the clear benefits of regular exercise for older people. Exercise can help older people to stay mobile and independent, ensure a healthy heart, keep weight and stress levels under control, and promote better sleep. While younger people are barraged with encouragement to lead healthier lifestyles, the health needs of older people are often overlooked.”
The benefits of jogging and running do go beyond simply improving cardiovascular fitness. An active and healthy lifestyle can ward off cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and infections, which can prove deadly for elderly people.
If you plan to start running, why not start a running blog – it is completely free to keep your health and fitness journal on MotleyHealth.com.
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