SHORT RUNS
An excellent article was written by Markham Heid, Health and Science reporter for the New York Times. By now most of us are familiar with the fact that running produces marked benefits in longevity, as well as the reduction of mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer. This article shows, in several different studies, that the amount of running necessary to achieve these benefits is surprising very small. We don’t have to be running every day or training for a marathon in order to get the benefits. Far from it.
Dr. James O’Keefe is Director of Preventative Cardiology at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City Missouri. He has published numerous studies on the relationship between exercise and health. One of his recent articles was a study of individuals aged 20 to 92 who were compared to non-runners. Those who ran 1 to 2.4 hours per week at a slow or moderate pace enjoyed the greatest reduction in mortality. Surprisingly, that reduction was even greater than those who logged more miles at a faster pace. Here is a case where more is not better but may actually be worse.
In a different study involving 55,000 individuals aged 18 to 100, it was found that those who ran 5 to 10 minutes a day at a slow pace (10 minutes per mile or slower) had a reduction in all causes of death and had an extended lifespan. All of these studies, and many others, indicate that most of the benefits of running come at the front end. If you are running for health benefits, there is no need to do mega miles or at a super-fast pace.
Training for races is entirely different. In response to exercise, the body releases a group of molecules known as exerkines. The term is an umbrella, which includes a wide variety of complex chemical substances. These molecules reduce inflammation, grow new blood vessels and regenerate cellular mitochondria. Research in this area is relatively new and more studies are required, but it is already clear that exercise causes the release of these wonderful molecules that help the body maintain and regenerate itself. Early research indicates they may reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes, dementia and many other unwanted conditions.
The bottom line is that short runs, even if done only occasionally and at a moderately slow pace, are wonderful for your body in terms of longevity, cardiovascular health, and fighting cancer. They have also been shown to be good for fighting depression. It can be assumed from these studies that other forms of exercise that get the heart rate up may also be as beneficial as running. These may include swimming, biking, fast walking, and workouts on the elliptical machine and others.