Jog to Live Longer

For more than three decades, jogging has been a popular exercise, but some are now debating the potential risks of this strenuous form of fitness.

Peter Schnohr and his colleagues at the Bispebjerg University Hospital in Denmark analyzed a subset of data compiled from the Copenhagen City Heart Study comparing the mortality of 1,116 male and 762 female joggers to the nonjoggers in the main study population. All participants were asked to answer questions about the amount of time they spent jogging each week and to rate their own perceptions of pace, defined as slow, average, and fast.

The first data was collected between 1976 to 1978, the second from 1981 to 1983, the third from 1991 to 1994 and the fourth from 2001 to 2003. Participants from all the different data collections were followed using a unique personal identification number in the Danish Central Person Register. The results showed that in the follow-up period involving a maximum of 35 years, 10,158 deaths were registered among the nonjoggers and 122 among the joggers.

Analysis showed that risk of death was reduced by 44 percent for male joggers and 44 percent for female joggers, both with age-adjusted hazard ratios of 0.56. Furthermore, jogging produced an age-adjusted survival benefit of 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women. The investigators found that jogging between one and 2 1/2 hours a week, undertaken over two to three sessions, delivered the optimum benefits, especially when performed at a slow or average pace.

—Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net

 

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Dr. Robert M. Goldman MD, PhD, DO, FAASP has spearheaded the development of numerous international medical organizations and corporations. Dr. Goldman has served as a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University; as an Affiliate at the Philosophy of Education Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, He is Clinical Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea Medical University; and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Central America Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Goldman holds the positions of Visiting Professor, Udayana University School of Medicine, Indonesia; Visiting Professor, Huazhong University of Science & Technology Tong Ji Medical School, China; Visiting Professor, The Wuhan Institute of Science & Technology, China; Visiting Professor at Hainan Medical College, China; and Visiting Professor, School of Anti-Aging, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, UCSI University, Malaysia. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He has overseen cooperative research agreement development programs in conjunction with such prominent institutions as the American National Red Cross, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, and the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health.

Dr Goldman was awarded the 2012 LifeTime Achievement Award in Medicine &Science. Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the ‘Gold Medal for Science, the Grand Prize for Medicine, the Humanitarian Award, and the Business Development Award. He received honors from Minister of Sports and government Health officials of numerous nations. In 2001, Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Dr. Goldman the International Olympic Committee Tribute Diploma for contributions to the development of sport & Olympism.

In addition, Dr. Goldman is a black belt in karate, Chinese weapons expert, and world champion athlete with over 20 world strength records, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of his past performance records include 13,500 consecutive situps and 321 consecutive handstand pushups. Dr. Goldman was an All-College athlete in four sports, a three time winner of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Physical Fitness Award, was voted Athlete of the Year, was the recipient of the Champions Award, and was inducted into the World Hall of Fame of Physical Fitness. Dr. Goldman was awarded the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goldman is Chairman of the International Medical Commission overseeing sports medicine committees in over 184 nations. He has served as a Special Advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. He is founder and international President Emeritis of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Goldman visits an average of 20 countries annually to promote brain research and sports medicine programs.