Does Running in New York Reduce Aging?


spring running

Running in Manhatten, particularly Central Park is one of the best known features of New York City. We see joggers in the park every day, keeping fit and healthy and active. But did you know that running a certain amount each week has been shown to actually slow down the aging process? While we know the virtues of running generally, a study was carried out on some 5823 people between 1999 and 2002. The study was published in May 2017 Preventative Medicine.

The study looked at things on a cellular level, more specifically on the area known as the telemere. The telemeres are situated on the end of chromosones and for a younger person would typically be between 8,000 and 10,000 nucleotides long. As we age, the length decreases as the cells divide until such a time that the cell stops dividing or dies. So in a similar vein to looking at the rings on a tree to calculate the age, the tellemeres give us a similar look.

This cellular age seems to halt when we run. Researchers found that those runners of the 5823 studied who ran a minimum of 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week had longer tellemeres than those who did not run or ran at lower intensities. When this length was calculated into physical age, it saw a difference of up to 9 years younger compared to the non runners.

So science agrees at a cellular level that running will help take years off of your life, especially at that higher intensity rate of 30 to 40 minutes per day 5 times a week. We knew that running was a good thing to do, now we have physical evidence that it is.

Here at Back and Body New York, we always aim to help people stay fit and healthy, in shape by helping manage pain or injuries to get you back up and running in the shortest amount of time.

If you have any questions on our treatment options in New York, please contact us, we would be happy to help you and see what we can do for you.

In pain? Want a tune up? Call us today (908) 325 – 3000We can treat and help you.



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