Just as I have always thought, moderate running, especially for us older types, really is beneficial — and for me, much more fun!

June 2012:

When it comes to exercise, research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine suggest moderation really is a virtue. Scientists at the University of South Carolina and other institutions analyzed data on 52,656 American adults participating in the 31-year Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. Participants underwent at least one physical and answered questions about their exercise habits; about 27% reported running, though at varying levels. Looking at data on the 2,984 participants who died, the new study found that runners were 19% less likely to die of all causes than non-runners. But running in moderation – 1-20 miles a week at 10-11 minutes per mile – was most strongly associated with reduced mortality risk, more so than not running at all or running longer or faster. “These data certainly support the idea that more running is not needed to produce extra health and mortality benefits,” researchers commented, adding, “More is not better, and actually, more could be worse.”