Study: Running 5 minutes per day reduces risk of cardiovascular death

Running for even five minutes each day could dramatically reduce your chance of death from cardiovascular illness, a new large-scale study suggests.

The new study, published this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, was conducted over a 15-year span and included over 55,000 participants, ages 18 through 100. It found that those who reported being runners at some point during the study — about 24 per cent of respondents — had a 30 per cent lower risk of death during the period and a 45 per cent lower chance of death due to cardiovascular disease.

Over the course of the study, those who were runners had an average life expectancy of about three years more than those who were not and ever running only five to ten minutes each day dramatically reduced participants chance of death but benefits seemed to dwindle in proportion to the length of time spent pounding long runs. Those who reported running often and for longer periods of time didn’t see major benefits over those who spent shorter time running.

“Running, even five to ten minutes per day and at slow speeds […], is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease,” write the authors.

While the study does suggest that running is good for your overall and cardiovascular health, it is important to remember that there are many factors at play. Regular runners are also more inclined to follow generally healthier lifestyles, including other regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. They also tend to skew towards wealthier socioeconomic backgrounds. These are factors that also play roles in life expectancy.