Among 3,500 deaths, they weren’t particularly surprised to see that those who had told their doctors they were runners were far less likely to die of heart disease. Even when the researchers adjusted for obesity and smoking, the runners were less likely to have died during the years of the study. The big shock was that the health benefits were remarkably similar no matter how much running the people had done. Even about ten minutes of moderate exercise a day added years to their lives.35
