[size=15pt]A Little Running Goes a Long Way: Mortality Benefit at Just Six Miles per Week[/size]

by Michael O'Riordan for Medscape.

AMES, IOWA and NEW ORLEANS, LA — Just five to 10 minutes of daily running, even performed at very slow speeds, can significantly lower an individual's risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, according to the results of a new study[1].

Compared with those who didn't run, investigators observed a significantly reduced risk of mortality among those who ran less than six miles per week, among those who ran slower than six miles per hour, and among those who ran just one to two times per week.

"This is very good news because one of the biggest obstacles for exercise is time," Dr Carl 'Chip' Lavie (Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA), one of the investigators, told heartwire . "What people tell me all the time is that they just don't have time to exercise. My answer is that if you don't have 30 minutes to exercise then you better find time for dying. [size=13pt]But this is really nice because it lets people know they don't have to do a 30- or 40-minute run each day. You can get substantial benefits from a five- or 10-minute run, from a 10- or 15-minute run. You don't have to go long to get the benefit."[/size]

Lead researcher Dr Duck-chul Lee (Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa) said that prior to the investigation, his thought had been that more running would equate to greater mortality benefits. "It seems like common sense with exercise and health," he told heartwire . "The good news is even a little is better than nothing, which is a little different, considering the current exercise guidelines recommend at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. We found that even less than that was good for reducing mortality risk."

Overall, runners gained about three years of life over their nonrunning counterparts and had a 30% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 45% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.

More at:http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/828990?nlid=62523_2842&src=wnl_edit_dail&uac=224430BG