
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
It's old news that exercise can protect your health and maybe even help you live longer. But a massive new study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (opens in new tab) suggests that you can benefit from doing the bare minimum — even if that means a short, half-assed jog around the block.
In the 15-year study, researchers looked at the running habits of more than 55,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 100. By the end of the study period, 3,413 of the participants had passed away. The runners had a 30 percent lower risk of dying than non-runners, faced a 45 percent lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke, and lived an average of three years longer than non-runners. And people who maintained their running habits over time had an even lower risk of death. Interestingly, though, people who ran at the slowest speeds for the shortest times appeared to benefit just much as people who ran faster and for longer.
Coincidentally (or not) runners in the study were less likely to smoke and more likely to participate in other physical activities (opens in new tab), had lower prevalence of chronic diseases, and had higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels (opens in new tab). So it's entirely possible that the healthiest people were just more likely to run.
Regardless, the authors write that running just five to 10 minutes per day — less than the government's current activity guidelines of 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week — should be sufficient if your goal is to avoid imminent death or to, you know, be healthier. Not like you'd take a five-minute cycling class or ruin a perfectly good hair day for a five-minute swim, but short bursts of other high intensity activities could be just as effective for people who really can't find more than five or so minutes to get moving.
In any case, it's pretty clear that even a pitifully short run beats sitting on your butt. Which means everyone can squeeze in an effective workout — even if you have no time to exercise (opens in new tab).
Want to get fit fast? Try a quick workout on-demand at CosmoBody (opens in new tab). (You can sign up for a *~fReE~* 10-day trial here (opens in new tab)!)
Related:
6 Moves to Make You Look Better in 60 Seconds Flat (opens in new tab)
8 Easy Exercises to Strengthen and Stretch Your Way Into Any Pair of High Heels (opens in new tab)
9 Health Issues That You Think Are Weird, But Actually Happen to Everyone (opens in new tab)
Coconut Oil: Your Everyday Secret Weapon (opens in new tab)
Photo Credit: Getty Blend Images - Priscilla Gragg
via

Elizabeth Narins is a Brooklyn, NY-based writer and a former senior editor at Cosmopolitan.com, where she wrote about fitness, health, and more. Follow her at @ejnarins.
-
Don’t Expect Prince Harry’s Memoir to Be a Hit Job on the Royal Family, Royal Expert Says
It’ll probably be less of an attack on the monarchy and more of a chance to elevate his own profile.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The Queen “Let Her Guard Down” When Welcoming Kate Middleton into the Fold
This is really thoughtful.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Meghan Markle Once Revealed Her Secret to Happiness
We sure do miss The Tig.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Senator Klobuchar: "Early Detection Saves Lives. It Saved Mine"
Senator and breast cancer survivor Amy Klobuchar is encouraging women not to put off preventative care any longer.
By Senator Amy Klobuchar
-
How Being a Plus-Size Nude Model Made Me Finally Love My Body
I'm plus size, but after I decided to pose nude for photos, I suddenly felt more body positive.
By Kelly Burch
-
I'm an Egg Donor. Why Was It So Difficult for Me to Tell People That?
Much like abortion, surrogacy, and IVF, becoming an egg donor was a reproductive choice that felt unfit for society’s standards of womanhood.
By Lauryn Chamberlain
-
The 20 Best Probiotics to Keep Your Gut in Check
Gut health = wealth.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Simone Biles Is Out of the Team Final at the Tokyo Olympics
She withdrew from the event due to a medical issue, according to USA Gymnastics.
By Rachel Epstein
-
The Truth About Thigh Gaps
We're going to need you to stop right there.
By Kenny Thapoung
-
3 Women On What It’s Like Living With An “Invisible” Condition
Despite having no outward signs, they can be brutal on the body and the mind. Here’s how each woman deals with having illnesses others often don’t understand.
By Emily Shiffer
-
The High Price of Living With Chronic Pain
Three women open up about how their conditions impact their bodies—and their wallets.
By Alice Oglethorpe