Fantastic News for Couch Potatoes
Forget about daily agonizing and suffering for hours , no need for rushing to the gym every day . It takes a lot less to keep fit and healthy. Running 10 kilometres per week appears to improve longevity by 3 to 6 years and reduces the risk of several chronic diseases , according to a review of research published in Mayo Clinic proceedings .
A distinguished group of US-based cardiologists , exercise physiologists , and epidemiologists collaborated on the review . It contains no new material or research , but summarizes results of the best , large-scale studies on runners . All of the studies included at least 500 runners and at least 5 years of follow-up. Most of the result’s conclusions are unsurprising .
Running improves weight management , blood pressure , and glucose control , and lowers the risk of some cancers , respiratory disease , stroke and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality .
Likewise, a continuing Stanford University study of longtime runners has shown that the older the runners get, the greater their advantage compared to non-runners of the same age on a disability index score of common life activities . In other words , running doesn’t cripple the musculoskeletal system but makes it more robust.
The Mayo Clinic article points out , that it takes little running per week to reach the optimal benefit for improved longevity. The authors pin the numbers at about 10 kilometres per week, or about 52 minutes of running , achieved in just one or two workouts per week.
Higher mileage provides no more benefits of persistences , according to the research summary. The study revealed that 52 minutes of running per week is less than the common guidelines , which recommend at least 75 weekly minutes of vigorous activity like running. Even 75 minutes weekly is a very easy achievable target, given a week has got 7 days.
If you want to shape up , walking , jogging and running can all provide a step in the right direction . Experts say these activities are not only excellent , they can be the easiest and most natural route to fitness without spending a lot of money on the required gear. According to the current guidelines, 1 minute of running is equivalent to 2 minutes of light walking exercises . The new paper’s authors find that the correct ratio is more like 1:3 or 1:4 . That means 1 minute of running is worth 3 to 4 minutes of walking . This is true because running is a very vigorous exercise, even at very low speed .
Running or walking outside, however, may not always be a natural choice . If you‘re not enthusiastic about running or walking in winter weather or summer humidity, or if you live somewhere where there are few sidewalks or where there‘s a lot of traffic , you may want to invest in an exercise equipment treadmill, you can find fold up treadmills now aswell in case you’re worried about the limited space indoors .
Lucky are those, who own a dog that demands its walkies every day . Add the doggy walkies to your weekly target of exercise and you’re almost there .To sum it all up , it doesn’t require much effort to do a little good to your body, health and well-being . Knowing about all this should make it a lot easier for you to get up and start moving. How do you stay fit and healthy? Please tell us about in the comments below.
Thanks a lot for reading
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