Sure, we’ve always been told that exercise makes us healthy. That’s pretty hard to dispute. But, does exercise confer a longer lifespan? According to Stanford University researchers it does. In a study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a comparison of middle-aged and older regular runners with healthy counterparts showed that vigorous regular exercise was associated with longer life and less disability in old age. The key word here is vigorous, by which the researchers mean running. What about running causing more injuries in old age? The researchers have also published another study in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine where they showed that running was not linked to greater rates of osteoarthritis in elderly runners, and they did not require more total knee replacements than non-runners. Full story.
Tags: age, exercise, lifespan, running
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:47 am
How about running for women.? IN old age the uterus starts to fall in many cases and running could make that even worse I say running is for the few who can do it
August 13th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Good point. There are definitely reasons why one may not, and should not, start running. It’s a good idea to speak to your physician regarding any new and strenuous exercise routines you are about to embark on!