National Runner's Health Study: Part I

Imagine pulling up to the drive up window of your local drug store. You hand the pharmacist your prescription. In just a few minutes a fork lift shows up and plops a treadmill on top of your car! That’s right – your doctor prescribed a treadmill to improve your health and cure your illness!

OK – Maybe I am exaggerating just a bit. You probably won’t be picking up a treadmill at your neighborhood pharmacy, but more and more doctors are prescribing running and other forms of exercise to their patients. These doctors are learning what coaches, personal trainers and runners have known for years. Running is good for your physical and mental health.
If you are currently a runner you probably already knew that. One of the reasons you run is for the health benefits. If you are a new runner or are thinking about starting, you assume that running will improve your health and extend your life. Your assumption is correct. If you run consistently over your lifetime, a longer lifespan is the very probable outcome. A study completed last year in Rotterdam confirmed that. The researchers in Rotterdam concluded that people who run about 30 minutes per day - five days per week extended their lives by 3.5 to 3.7 years.