You’re Never To Old To Run

Running at middle and older ages is associated with reduced disability in later life and a notable survival advantage.

According to a recent published study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. They published the results of a longitudinal study comparing disability and mortality outcomes between cohorts of runners and control subjects initially aged 50 to 72 years after 21 years.

This is important because with the rise in life expectancy, it becomes necessary to focus on improving the quality of life and functional abilities as people reach older ages.

In addition to confirming an overall survival advantage and reduction in cardiovascular-related deaths among persons who participate in regular exercise, we also found a reduced rate of deaths from other causes including malignant neoplasms and neurologic disorders.

Limitations
A lack of random assignment of external interventions.Overall, 60% of initial study participants who were still alive at the 21-year assessment continued to participate,which is a low drop out rate considering the length of follow up (21 years). Because the majority of the participants were white,
completed college education, had a BMI within normal limits, and had low alcohol and tobacco consumption, it is possible that these results may not be generalizable to a broader range of persons with different ethnic backgrounds, educational opportunities, access to preventive health care, or lifestyle habits.

Eliza F. Chakravarty, MD MS;, Helen B. Hubert, PhD;, Vijaya B. Lingala, PhD;, James F. Fries, MD (2008). Reduced Disability and Mortality
Among Aging Runners Archives of Internal Medicine, 168 (15), 1638-1646 DOI: 18695077