To do so, they examined 14 previous assessments that involved 232,149 adults. They evaluated the participants' physical activity and followed up on their health outcomes between five and 35 years on.
After analyzing the results, they found those who ran any distance had a 27% lower risk of death from all causes, compared to those who didn't run at all.
They discovered running was also associated with a 30% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 23% reduced risk of death from cancer.
“Increased rates of participation in running, regardless of its dose, would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity,” the authors wrote. “Any amount of running, even just once a week, is better than no running, but higher doses of running may not necessarily be associated with greater mortality benefits.”
They noted clinicians and policymakers have previously been discouraged from promoting runnin, because too much exertion has been linked with sudden cardiac arrest. It’s also been linked with higher injury risk.
That’s why they believe doctors should be cautious when recommending the exercise.
“Running might not be a suitable activity for all clinical populations, and a clinician may need to make an informed decision about whether or not to prescribe it on a case-by-case basis,” the authors wrote.
Want to learn more about the findings? The results were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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