THIS simple exercise may boost longevity; can add as many as 6 years!

Living a whole life without diseases is every human being’s dream. Longevity is not just about how many years you live; being healthy is also a crucial part of it. If you want to live longer and healthier, then exercise is non-negotiable. A study has shown that one type of exercise can dramatically increase life expectancy.

A 2012 study led by researchers at the Copenhagen City Heart found that this exercise can add over five years to your life. The findings are published in Science Direct.

Exercise and life expectancy

(Pic courtesy: iStock)

The study found that men who jogged regularly live 6.2 years longer, while women may get an additional 5.6 years.

"The results of our research allow us to definitively answer the question of whether jogging is good for your health. We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity. The good news is that you don't actually need to do that much to reap the benefits" Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, said.

Debates about the impact of jogging on health first came up in the 1970s when middle-aged men took an interest in the pastime. "After a few men died while out on a run, various newspapers suggested that jogging might be too strenuous for ordinary middle-aged people," Schnohr recalled.

The long-term study, which began in 1976, reviewed data from over 20,000 men and women aged 20 to 93. For the jogging sub-study, researchers compared mortality rates between 1,116 male joggers and 762 female joggers with non-joggers. The participants were asked to answer questions about the amount of time they spent jogging each week, and to rate their own perceptions of pace (defined as slow, average, and fast). "With participants having such a wide age span, we felt that a subjective scale of intensity was the most appropriate approach," Schnohr, who is based at Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, explained.

The first data was collected between 1976 to 1978, the second from 1981 to 1983, the third from 1991 to 1994, and the fourth from 2001 to 2003. The participants were tracked using a unique ID number in the Danish Central Person Register. "These numbers have been key to the success of the study since they've allowed us to trace participants wherever they go," Schnohr added.

What did they find

There were 10,158 deaths among the non-joggers and 122 deaths among the joggers, in a follow-up period of a maximum of 35 years. The researchers found that the risk of death was reduced by 44% for male joggers and 44% for female joggers. Further data showed that jogging added 6.2 years of life in men and 5.6 years in women. The best outcomes were seen in people who jogged for one to two and a half hours every week, spread over two to three sessions, particularly at a slow or moderate pace. The researchers also noted that the pace really matters. The ideal pace can be achieved by striving to feel a little breathless. "You should aim to feel a little breathless, but not very breathless," he added.


Jogging also improved oxygen uptake, increased insulin sensitivity, improved lipid profiles (raising HDL and lowering triglycerides), lowered blood pressure, reduced platelet aggregation, increased fibrinolytic activity, improved cardiac function, bone density, immune function, reduced inflammation markers, prevented obesity, and improves psychological function. "The improved psychological wellbeing may be down to the fact that people have more social interactions when they're out jogging," Schnohr said.