Running for our lives

Sorry but there is a paywall:

. . . recent studies showing that you don’t have to run very much, or very fast, in order to get major health benefits. “Running, even 5 to 10 min/day and at slow speeds <6 miles/h, is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease,” one study, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, concluded.

I shouldn’t be surprised at this. In August, a study found that walking fairly short distances was associated with reduced mortality risk. We’ve been talking for a long time about six-minute workouts and 11-minute workouts and how to do the shortest workout humanly possible and still reap benefits. But running in particular seems intricately linked to questions of endurance, of grit and commitment and even moral rectitude. “Running is more than a sport or a form of exercise, a passion or a pastime. It’s about identity,” one runner declared in an essay in Runner’s World, a sentiment expressed in nearly each of the one million essays I read while mulling this topic.
. . .
I didn’t feel particularly accomplished after my slog (a slow jog). I did, however, see how meaningful these studies’ findings could be for those who might be avoiding all running because they’re not able to sustain it for long periods. Beginner running programs like Couch to 5K and None to Run assume a 5K, or running for 25 minutes, are sensible, achievable goals. But a Couch to 5 Minutes program would be even more achievable, a salutary way point, or even a goal unto itself. . . .​

Bob Wilson