Ever wonder about the effect on your lifespan from jogging? So did Danish researchers of the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Presenting their findings at the EuroPRevent2012 Meeting, researchers showed that regular jogging adds 5.6 years in women and 6.2 years in men.

Originally setting out to determine whether regular jogging was healthy or hazardous, Dr. Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the study, showed that 1 to 2 1/2 hours of jogging per week at a slow or average pace significantly lengthens lifespan.

According to Dr. Schnohr, “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.”

The Copenhagen City Heart Study began in 1976, collecting data over four periods of time between then and 2003. Approximately 20,000 men and women between the ages of 20 to 93 participated in the study. The jogging study is just one sub-study of the larger Copenhagen City Heart Study, and consisted of 1,116 male and 762 females.

Risk of death for regular jogging men and women was lowered 44%. The ideal pace was noted to be slow or average speeds. The maximum health and survival benefits were seen in those who moderately jogged (1-2.5 hours per week, over two or three sessions) versus extreme joggers or those who didn’t jog at all.

For more data on this interesting study, please visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245025.php