The link between running and longevity has not been well established until recently.
An interesting report in Straits Times Aug 14 (Mind Your Body) cites a Stanford University study that suggests that regular running can slow the effects of ageing. Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the study tracks two cohorts - runners and non-runners - of 500 people over the age of 50. After 19 years, 34% of non-runners had died compared to only 15% of runners. Put differently, the results suggest that the survival rate of a person who is running regularly at the age of 50 and continue to run, has a 85% chance of making it to 69 years of age.
The benefits are not only in terms of survival rates, but also lower incidents of cancer, neurological diseases, inflections. Interestingly, there is no evidence that runners are more likely to suffer osteoarthritis or require knee replacements. However, the average running time falls as one ages - from 4 hours per week to 76 minutes per week.
Good enough evidence for me!
Showing posts with label age. Show all posts
Showing posts with label age. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
imaRunner: Richard Khoo and Chan Meng Hui
Mind Your Body (July 16, 2008) featured Richard Khoo (aged 84) and Chan Meng Hui (aged 78) in the lead article "No Age Limit."
Richard started running only at the age of 55 after he retired and has clocked 44 marathons around the world, including Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. He is planning to complete the 2008 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon with an average time of 13 to 14 minutes per km.
Meng Hui also started running when he was 55 when his drinking friends starting dying. A former smoker and heavy drinker, he turned his life around and completed his first marathon when he was 56, and has 76 marathons (3.5 marathons per year for 22 years!) under his belt. These include races in Norway, Japan, China and Switzerland. His target is 100 marathons.
Meng Hui runs regularly with the MR25 runners - 25 km every Sunday morning. I wouldn't be surprised if Meng Hui were among the senior runners we met at MacRitchie a couple of weekends ago. Boy, are these guys good! You will have to run with them to see for yourself.
Our senior runners are wonderfully amazing and inspiring! Keep running!
Lesson: Never Too Late
Richard started running only at the age of 55 after he retired and has clocked 44 marathons around the world, including Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. He is planning to complete the 2008 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon with an average time of 13 to 14 minutes per km.
Meng Hui also started running when he was 55 when his drinking friends starting dying. A former smoker and heavy drinker, he turned his life around and completed his first marathon when he was 56, and has 76 marathons (3.5 marathons per year for 22 years!) under his belt. These include races in Norway, Japan, China and Switzerland. His target is 100 marathons.
Meng Hui runs regularly with the MR25 runners - 25 km every Sunday morning. I wouldn't be surprised if Meng Hui were among the senior runners we met at MacRitchie a couple of weekends ago. Boy, are these guys good! You will have to run with them to see for yourself.
Our senior runners are wonderfully amazing and inspiring! Keep running!
Lesson: Never Too Late
imaRunner is a series about ordinary people and their not-so-ordinary running achievements.
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