Whether it’s a once a week ‘Cliff Young Shuffle’, or sticking to a more dedicated schedule, any amount of running helps avert the risk of death, Victorian researchers have found.

Their analysis shows that runners have a 27% lower risk of death from all causes, a 30% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 23% lower risk of death from cancer compared to those who don’t run.

“Any amount of running, even just once a week, is better than no running, but higher doses of running may not necessarily be associated with greater mortality benefits,” write the authors, from the Victorian University in Melbourne.

Their review included 14 studies on the association between running/jogging and the risk of death from all causes, CVD and cancer.