SEPTEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 017WA R M - U P S MIND+HEALTH
WORDS: RICK PEARSON. PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY
IMAGES. IMAGE MANIPULATION COLIN BEA
GLEY 1. CANCER 2.
MAYO CLINIC PROCEEDINGS
20
Extra years brisk walkers
(4mph) are likely to live
compared with slow walkers.^2Try thisCALLING ALL FIRST-TIME
MARATHON RUNNERS: taking
on the big 26.2 could make
your cardiovascular system
younger. That’s according
to a new study that found
training for and completing
a marathon for the first
time can reverse ageing of
the major blood vessels.
You needn’t be super
speedy to reap these
rewards, either. On the
contrary, older and slow
runners benefit the most.
The study, presented to
the European Society
of Cardiology, looked at
139 marathon newbies,
aged 21-39, who followed
a first-time finisher trainingprogramme for six months
before completing the
London Marathon in 2016
or 2017. After completing
the marathon, aortic
stiffness had reduced and
the aorta was four years
younger than before
training. Study author
Dr Anish Bhuva says,
‘This is comparable to
the effect of medication
and, if maintained, this
translates to approximately
10 per cent lower risk of
stroke over a lifetime. The
study shows that the
health gains of lifelong
exercise start to appear
after a relatively brief
training programme.’HEART
AND SOLE
Reverse ageing – run a marathon
HOW TO OUTRUN CANCER
A major new study^1 reaffirms the importance of
aerobic fitness as a protection against cancer.
Looking at the data from nearly 50,000 patients
aged between 40 and 70, researchers found
that those in the fittest group were 77 per cent
less likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer
and 61 per cent less likely to be diagnosed
with colorectal cancer. And even if they were
diagnosed with one of the cancers, their fitness
meant they were significantly less likely to die
of the illness than those in the least-fit group.HEART CHECK
The WiWe portable ECG
monitor (£310, medical
supplies.co.uk) is a smart,
pocket-friendly device
that offers clinical-grade
electrocardiogram readouts.
It can serve as an excellent
way to monitor your heart
health and determine
whether a follow-up with
a physician is required.HAVE A QUICK WORD
WITH YOURSELF
Use the second person
for a first-class runWant to improve your running performance? Start speaking
to yourself in the second person. New research from Bangor
University, Wales, has found that participants who addressed
themselves internally using ‘you’ statements fared better in a 10K
time trail than those who used ‘I’ statements. So go for ‘You can do
this’ rather than ‘I can do this.’ Why does it work? Lead researcher
Dr James Hardy, says, ‘It promotes clearer thinking, better choices
and enhanced performance.’TURN BACK TIME
A marathon can
make you younger!