4 hrs Jogging a week = 7 years extra life

Chief Cardiologist Peter Schnohr at Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen reported in the British Medical Journal the aapparent improvement in longevity as a result of jogging - which was discussed in 2000 in the BMJ(1)

The team also reported further studies in 2003(2). This was the first observational population study based on a random sample of 7,000 men and women from Copenhagen, Denmark, we investigated the impact of both regular leisure-time physical activity and altered physical activity on risk of death in healthy younger, middle-aged, and elderly men and women.

Now he and his team have reported in European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, the results of a further study in the exercise habits of over 5,000 people. They claim they can now directly relate hours of exercise undertaken into extra years of life.

People who exercise 4 hours a week live an average of 7 years longer than people who exercise less than 2 hours per week, concludes the new study based on data collected from the Østerbro Study, which has followed the lives of a group of Danes since 1976.

"Most people know that their health improves and they live longer if they exercise, but what's new is that we can calculate how many years you gain by exercising," Peter Schnohr is reported as saying in the Danish daily Politken.

Dr. Schnohr, who led the study, said the results reconfirm that exercise prevents hardening of the arteries.

"What's more, our study supports the belief that there is a relationship between exercise and mortality from cancer," he adds. "That's good news, because the number of people with colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer is on the rise. Therefore we need to find something we can do to reduce the risk."

The size of the current study was too small to determine which types of cancer could be prevented by exercising he states.

Think you need to run a marathon to benefit ? Nonsense! says Dr. Schnohr The biggest gain comes when you get up from the sofa and start doing something.'

(1) Schnohr P, Parner J, Lange P. Mortality in joggers: population based study of 4658 men.
BMJ 2000;321:602-3. (9 September.)(HERE also )

(2) P. Schnohr, H. Scharling, and J. S. Jensen
Changes in Leisure-time Physical Activity and Risk of Death: An Observational Study of 7,000 Men and Women
Am. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2003; 158(7): 639 - 644.

Recognise the City of joggers ? Moscow.