Any amount of running — even as little as once a week — may reduce the risk of an early death, according to a study recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Researchers conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis of more than a dozen previously published studies on the topic of running and longevity. They found that running was associated with a 27 percent lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause.

Encouraging more people to run would probably lead to “substantial improvements” in health and longevity, the researchers conclude.

“Our study … suggests running can significantly improve your health and reduce the risk of death at a given point in time,” writes Zeljko Pedisic, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of public health at Victoria University in Australia, in an article for The Conversation.

“And you don’t have to run fast or far to reap the benefits,” he adds.

An important caveat

Before you go out and buy a pair of running shoes, however, you should know that the analysis relies on observational data, which means it can’t prove that running extends lives.

As a reviewer of the study for the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) notes, “[T]here was no link between how often people ran and their risk of early death. So, it could be that running was just a general marker for a healthier lifestyle overall. People who regularly go for a run or jog may also have a better diet, do not smoke, and moderate their alcohol consumption. It may be a full lifestyle pattern that is reducing mortality risk.”

Still (as the NHS reviewer also points out), the study’s findings align with current physical activity guidelines, which here in the United States call for adults to engage in a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity.

This new study is yet another a reminder of the importance being physical active.