New research says you don’t need to be running marathons—or even running daily—to lower your death risk. In fact, even a little running can lower your death risk by 27%.
Currently, the World Health Organization suggests that adults should take part in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. But is that necessary to reduce your death risk?
How even a little running helps
A team of researchers from Victoria University in Melbourne wanted to know if running helped lower the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as if more running offers even more protection against death from all causes.
The scientists reviewed published papers, doctoral theses and conference papers that were related to the link between running and death risks. In total, the review covered data from 232,149 people and 14 studies.
In addition to the 27% decreased death risk, they found:
- Running was linked to a 30% lower risk of death relating to cardiovascular disease.
- Running was linked to a 23% lower risk of cancer-related death.
- Even people who only ran once per week (or less frequently) had a lower death risk.
- Even people who ran at low speeds (under 6 MPH) had a lower death risk.
- Even people who ran less than 50 minutes had a lower death risk.
- Running for longer than the recommended amount had no extra health benefits or further reductions in the risk of death.
Caveats to the research findings
It’s important to note that the research was observational. The goal was not to establish cause. In addition, all the studies that were reviewed used a variety of methodology and cohort sizes, which could play a role in the final results.
The results of the research were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
