Humans were born to run. This is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Utah who argue that our ability to run was what initially distinguished us from apes. We may not be the fastest mammal on the planet, but we are exceptional endurance runners – a skill we used to outrun and exhaust our prey.
This could be why running is so good for our health. A new study has found that people who run tend to live an extra three years longer than non-runners, even if they only run sporadically, are over-weight, or if they also smoke and drink.
In more concrete terms, for each hour you run, you add an extra seven hours to your life. No other form of exercise provides the same bang for your buck.
Excerpt: “Why running should be so uniquely potent against early mortality remains uncertain, Dr. Lee says. But it is likely, he says, that it combats many of the common risk factors for early death, including high blood pressure and extra body fat, especially around the middle.
It also raises aerobic fitness, he says, and high aerobic fitness is one of the best-known indicators of an individual’s long-term health”.
About the Author: Rebecca Wong has a BA in English Literature from the University of Waterloo and has been working in the herbal business since 2000. She studied at the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine under respected authorities Paul Des Rosiers and Vu Le, and graduated from the East West School of Planetary Herbology under Michael Tierra. She received training as a yoga teacher at The Branches in Kitchener/Waterloo, and therapeutic yoga teacher training from the School for Somatic Soulwork under Deniz Aydoslu. She now teaches yoga for anxiety, depression and burnout at Rebecca's Restful Yoga Studio in Toronto.