The key to a longer life could be once-a-week jogging sessions, a study from Denmark has concluded.
Leaving the confines of your
retirement home for one hour a week to go running, the study concluded, could be enough to raise life expectancy by six years.
The good news is that the runner does not have to bust a gut in order to prolong their life as jogging at a slow or average pace is enough.
The research, part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, examined the health of 20,000 men and women aged between 20 and 93 over the last 35 years.
Death rates of 1,116 male and 762 female joggers were compared to those of non-joggers. It emerged that the risk of death for joggers was reduced by 44% and lifespans were increased by an average of 6.2 years for men and 5.6 years for women.
Dr Peter Schnohr, who led the joggers' study, said: "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."
