The Copenhagen City Heart Study has revealed that an hour's light jogging each week can have a major on life expectancy. James Fuller talks to health experts in the Bay about the implications behind the findings.
An hour a week of light sweat and toil in return for six extra years of life? Doesn't seem like a hard decision. But there's a catch: you have to jog.
Danish researchers engaged in an ongoing cardiovascular study have revealed easy-paced weekly jogging, totalling anything between an hour and two-and-a-half hours, will add 6.2 years to a man's life and 5.6 years to a woman's. While this news could inspire flashbacks of puce-faced, staggering block runs, the spirit of the research was welcomed by local health specialists including Papamoa-based All Blacks strength and conditioning coach Nic Gill.
"An hour a week is realistic for most, even those with busy lifestyles. If people were truthful with themselves, most could fit that in. But it's not really just about the exercise but what that exercise does. It makes you feel better about yourself, gives you more energy, you sleep better, you will probably decide to eat more healthily; it has knock-on effects. There are huge plusses, from the cardiovascular benefits to losing excess weight.
"It's all part of the big picture, reducing fat and processed sugar intake is just as important. There's been plenty of research saying doing that will help you live longer as well," said Gill, who had worked full-time with the rugby world champions for five years.
Dr Kiran Singh, from Tauranga's Fifth Avenue Family Practice, was equally forthright in advocating the advantages of regular running.
"The important thing is to do something rather than nothing; whatever you can do and get into a routine of doing, will bring benefits. It's really important to get your cardiovascular system up and going."
Dr Singh, who ran 10-15km twice a week, had been running regularly for six years.
"Jogging is a great way of getting out, dissipating the stresses of everyday life and making some time for yourself. Personally that surge of endorphins I get after running for 30 minutes is why I run. That natural high is as good as a great night out. And it doesn't cost very much; all you need is a pair of running shoes and a bit of commitment."
Confirmed couch potatoes might highlight the stress jogging could cause to the body, including possible shin splints, tendinitis, stress fractures and the early onset of arthritis. Registered podiatrist Anna Kendall, who operated out of Avenue 14 Medical Centre and Otumoetai Medical Centre, said those excuses did not stand up to scrutiny.
"Problems I see mainly include blisters and black toenails or strain injuries. But a lot of these are to do with people wearing the wrong shoes, not warming up properly or trying to do too much too soon so that's not the fault of the exercise itself."
Common strain injuries included achilles tendinitis - especially in men over 30 as the blood supply to the achilles diminishes in men of that age - and plantar fasciitis.
But light jogging, such as that recommended by the research, did not cause arthritis added Kendall.
"It's important to stress the difference between light jogging and serious running, but no it doesn't. Actually for those involved in light jogging the constant weight-bearing is very good for you in that it stimulates joint health.
There is also research to suggest it helps prevent osteoporosis in women. Issues such as shin splints and knee ligament damage are more common in long distance and endurance runners."
The original findings released by the Copenhagen City Heart Study - which compared the longevity of 2000 regular joggers against non-joggers - did not come as a surprise to Tauranga Ramblers former Vice President Graeme Sharp.
"It's easy to see the benefits of regular exercise. People function better day-to-day in their work lives, have less health issues and that must all feed into life expectancy," he said.
"Getting exercise in any shape or form is probably the message be it jogging, swimming, cycling or whatever," added Sharp, who now cycles about five hours a week.
Nic Gill said it was important to start out gently with any new exercise regime.
While his All Blacks undertook 10 hours of running, four hours of weights and covered 20-25km in an average week, he advised the rest of us to aim for jogging with a friend at "talking pace".
"That way you're more likely to jog without stopping and you will be jogging slowly which is always best to begin with," said Gill.