Running for just seven MINUTES a day can 'halve the risk of dying from heart disease'

Running for just seven minutes a day - even at slow speeds - could help slash the risk of dying from heart disease, a new study has revealed.

Scientists analysed 55,137 adults aged between 18 and 100, and found healthy exercise does not necessarily have to be exhausting or time-consuming.

They followed participants over a period of 15 years, during which more than 3,000 died.

A total of 1,217 deaths were related to heart disease.

 

Runners, who made up just under a quarter of the study population, had a 30 per cent lower risk of death from all causes and a 45 per cent lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke than non-runners. They also lived an average three years longer.

Running for less than 51 minutes a week - or about seven minutes a day - fewer than six miles, or slower than six miles an hour all reduced the chances of dying.