The Best Thing I've Done For My Health Is Run Less—and Research Backs This Up

As my feet drag along the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia, and the dreary January cold washes over my face, I remember a time when it was much more hellish. I walked 90 miles for weeks, month after month, like train tracks on my way to qualify for the Olympic 1,500m track race, a dream derailed by Covid.

Three years later, two days and 18 Sundays later, I now limit my weekly runs to 20, depending on company, illness and weather. Mainly the weather. In the current cold conditions, about three kilometers is enough. Maybe tomorrow I'll do six miles, or maybe, gasping, I'll take a day off.

Related: The 20 Best Exercises for Every Muscle, According to Science

Research shows that running regularly is good for you. But at best, I was constantly cramping, sore, and tired, no matter how much foam I applied to my sore calves or hit my sore quads with a Theragun. Today I am fit, motivated and energetic. feelings that flickered incoherently throughout my noisy years. I was wondering when does the river become slow? When is the point where the miles become too long?

According to Aaron Baggish, MD, FACSM, FACC, professor of medicine and sports sciences at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and avid runner, it depends.

"The more you run to a certain point, the more benefits you get," he told Men's Journal. "If you run more than five or six hours a week, you won't get any return on your health investment." That means the average 9am runner runs 35 to 40 miles per week.

That's not to say running is bad after a certain volume, Baggish notes, although a recent study published in Missouri Medicine found that high volumes of intense exercise are not optimal for longevity. Actually, the good news is that a healthy, consistent dose of cardio doesn't take as long as you think. My 20-30 miles per week are more than enough. But I've been running for 14 years. If you've never run before, don't run as much. In fact, you don't even need to run much to see the health benefits.

"[If you're] not a runner who doesn't do any minutes of aerobic exercise per week, spending 10 minutes a day doing nothing can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 15 to 20 percent," says Baggish.

For us regular runners, he cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans , which recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, ideally spread over five days.

CDC guidelines define moderate-intensity aerobic activity as "anything that makes the heart beat faster than normal," which means activities like brisk walking or playing doubles tennis. But we're talking about the CDC's definition of vigorous activity: jogging or other aerobic exercise. Therefore, to meet the minimum guidelines, you only need to drive a few kilometers a day, five days a week.

This minimum recommendation may surprise many runners, and certainly me, who adopts a "more is better" training mentality, something Baggish constantly points out as false.

"I've worked with many of the best runners in the world and I can tell you that the most helpful thing I've done for them is get them to rest more," he says. "It's almost never about changing the exercise plan or increasing the intensity." Many studies agree with Baggish. Recovery is as important as training itself because it reduces the risk of injury and illness and improves athletic performance.

Related: We tested all of Asics' running shoe offerings. They are the best

I definitely feel more comfortable in everyday life since losing my jogging pants. I have more energy during the day, I sleep better, and I have more time to spend with friends and family. However, it is difficult to self-regulate. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching found that casual athletes had worse recovery habits than "expert" athletes who added specific recovery techniques to their routine. The article concludes that "developing self-regulation skills can facilitate athletes' physical and mental recovery after training and competition and ultimately have positive effects on long-term health, well-being and performance." Since the average person doesn't live the life of a professional athlete with daytime hours dedicated to sleeping, recovery can come in the form of days off or shorter races.

So the next time you want to go the extra mile or add another run to your week, take a step back. Ask yourself if it's worth it. And encourage yourself to take days off. I'll be there with you, looking cautiously out the window on a sunny Saturday morning and choosing to leave my running shoes in the closet.

Dr. Justin Sonnenburg. How to build, maintain and restore gut health | Huberman Lab Podcast #62