Running delays disability in the aged

Researchers in their new study shows that members of a 'seniors' running club held back disability and lived longer than people who did not run. Researchers at Stanford University have been looking at the effects of aerobic exercise on the health and wellbeing of a group of older people. They compared members of an over-50s running group with people from the population at large.

They found levels of disability among those who ran, in both groups, to be far lower than among those who did not run. Those who ran also lived longer. Overall, the people in community had a 3.3 times higher death rate, from all causes, than the members of the running club. The researchers suggest that running - and maybe aerobic exercise in general - may be especially important for older people, because it allows them many more years of disability-free life.