
Previous research has shown that people who exercise have nearly one third lower mortality than people who don't. In a new research study, which was published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, scientists from the University of Copenhagen studied the impact of jogging on lifespan. The results were unexpected.
The scientists used health and exercise records of thousands of Danish adults. Some of the people in the data set reported that they exercised very little. Others were avid joggers. All told, they studied over 1,000 joggers and nearly 4,000 non-joggers. The joggers were divided into groups depending on the frequency and intensity of their workouts. The lifespan of each group (no exercise, light exercise, strenuous exercise) was determined from death records.
Not so surprisingly, people who did not exercise had statistically short lifespans. As might be expected, people practicing light to moderate exercise had significantly longer lives. What was unexpected was the finding that people who exercised strenuously had lifespans as short as the couch potatoes.
The sweet spot for the best lifespan (jogging-wise) was slow-paced jogging for one to two and a half hours a week.

So consider these results before you decide to take up some extreme sport. Maybe a brisk walk around the block is actually a better health decision!
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