It can be hard to squeeze in time to exercise, but a new study suggests that even just five to 10 minutes of running per day can make a big impact on health and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the report states that when looking at runners and non-runners, runners had a 30 percent lower risk of death from all causes, and a 45 percent lower risk of death from a stroke or heart attack. Doctors once thought that 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week was necessary, but that's probably not the case, researchers say.
"Our study showed that only fairly small doses of running were needed to produce these profound benefits," co-author Dr. Carl Lavie of the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans, told NBC News. "Even running less than six miles per week, running less than an hour per week at paces less than 10 minute miles were still producing very substantial reductions in cardiovascular mortality."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Researchers followed 55,137 adults between the ages of 18 and 100 for an average of 15 years. When the study began, none of the participants had ever suffered from a stroke, heart attack, or cancer. By the end of the study, 3,413 died, 1,217 from a stroke or heart attack. Those who ran even for just a few minutes a day were less at risk. "There is misconception that you have to be a marathon runner to have an effect on health," Dr. Vonda Wright of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Lemieux Sports Complex told NBC News. "But that is not true. It may be that a very small daily investment makes a difference — and purposeful choices."
-
Why reports of Donald Trump's demise are greatly exaggeratedIn The Spotlight US president has once again brushed aside rumours that he's dead
-
Lose yourself in these magnificent mazesThe Week Recommends These fiendishly clever puzzles aren't just for kids
-
Codeword: September 4, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
