Can running 5 minutes a day add years to your life?

A new study funded by Coco-Cola and the National Institutes of Health revealed that running as little as five minutes a day will help you live longer.

Five. Minutes. A. Day.

The research monitored 55,000 people in the Dallas area from six to twenty-two years.

The lowest group only ran 50 minutes a week. The highest group ran more than 175 minutes a week. Turns out both groups ended up with the same benefits.

As Tim and I have prepared for the Midsummer Night's Run 5K, I've discovered he walks much faster than me. And that's okay. I now combine running and walking to increase my speed.

If you'd asked me when I was twenty years old if I was competitive, I would have said no. I don't know if raising boys made me competitive or if it was buried deep down, but I want to do well. So my goal is to do better in this race than my first 5K.

I've trained more for this race which includes running five minutes a day. But if I wasn't trying to increase my speed, it would be good to know that I don't have to spend an hour a day to live longer and healthier.

The Lancet study in 2011 found walking briskly for 15 minutes a day can extend your life expectancy.

So grab your shoes and join me in running or walking to a healthier and longer life.