Running Away From Coronary Heart Disease
As mentioned in the article above, while strenuous exercise temporarily raises your odds of a heart attack [1] while you're mid-workout, doing it consistently reduces that risk over the long haul, leading to better heart health.
Research also indicates that different types of exercise affect the structure of your heart [2] in different ways. One such study discovered that endurance athletes, such as runners, have better overall heart function than athletes who focus solely on strength training.
Additionally, a large-scale 2002 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association [3] (JAMA) found that running for an hour or more per week was the most effective form of exercise to decrease risk of coronary heart disease.
In that study, men who reported running had a 42 percent risk reduction compared with men who did not run.
This was followed by weight training for at least 30 minutes per week, which was found to decrease the risk by 23 percent. Men who reported rowing for an hour or more each week, or brisk walking for at least 30 minutes per day, were both found to have an 18 percent risk reduction.
The Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training
Exercise intensity [4] -- which is something I’ve been discussing quite a bit lately -- was also found to play a significant role in reducing heart disease risk. Men who exercised at a high level of intensity decreased their risk of coronary heart disease by 17 percent, while those who exercised at a moderate level had a 6 percent lower risk as compared with men who exercised at a low level of intensity.
Not only does interval training decrease your risk of heart disease better than other forms of exercise, it also increases fat burning [5], and is therefore something you should definitely consider incorporating into your routine if you’re looking to lose weight.
That said, I don’t endorse running as your exclusive form of exercise.
I also firmly believe it is wise to do some strength training if you are to achieve a high level of overall fitness. I have many dozens of pages on my site detailing the benefits of various types of exercise [6], including those that maximize weight loss [7].
Build Strong Bones Naturally With Proper Exercise
Weight-bearing exercise like running actually helps stave off osteoporosis by maintaining bone mineral density, so you can safely discard the belief that running causes osteoporosis or increases osteoarthritis.
Previous research confirms this, however short, intensive exercise bouts have been found to build bone mass most effectively [8] – again highlighting the superior benefits of high-intensity interval training, such as sprinting. And, when daily exercises are divided into two sessions separated by eight hours, the potential for bone production through exercise is further increased.
Although it’s been proven that exercise in your later years can slow down degenerative aging, starting while you’re young can go a long way to help you stave off later bone degeneration.
Participating in athletic sports in your late teens will help you gain stronger bones [9]; a benefit that can persist long after you stop exercising intensively.
This is because exercise has the greatest effect on bone mineral density during childhood and puberty. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology [10] estimated that young athletes cut their risk of future bone and hip fractures in half by being active.