Ralph S. Paffenbarger Jr

An epidemiologist, in 1960 Paffenbarger initiated a study of 52,000 men who had gone to two universities between 1916 and 1950, watching their health as they aged and correlating their health to how much they exercised. The results, which were published in 1986, were inescapable: those who exercised lived longer than those who didn't. The conclusion sparked the modern fitness movement, starting with Paffenbarger himself: by 1967 the data coming out of the study were so obvious he took up jogging. In 1968 he ran the Boston Marathon for the first time; he ran it 21 more times, as well as at least 125 other marathons and ultramarathons. Paffenbarger's general conclusion is that every hour of vigorous exercise extended life by two to three hours, making the time spent worth it. "He showed that sedentary people are much more at risk," said Dr. Allan Abbott of the University of Southern California's school of medicine. "The more they exercise, the better." Dr. Paffenbarger was awarded the first International Olympic Committee prize for sport science, in 1996. But he suffered heart problems -- most of the men in his family died of heart problems in their 50s. He died from congestive heart failure at his New Mexico home on July 9 -- at age 84. From This is True for 8 July 2007 Suggestions for further reading: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World H... by Christopher McDougall Amazon Price: $14.67 Customer Review: If you are still reading reviews by the tim eyou get to this one, any summary of critique of the book isn't going to change your mind, you've most likey decided to read it and now are just skimming the reviews to see what other people said. So simpl...   Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running: The Best Advice to Get Start... by Dagny Scott Barrios Amazon Price: $11.55 Customer Review: Out of the blue I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon, but I knew nothing about running. After hours and hours reading reviews I picked this book, and all the reviews were right. This book has EVERYTHING!!!! Everything from how to pick out t...   The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer by David Whitsett, Forrest Dolgener, Tanjala Kole Amazon Price: $11.53 Customer Review: The sale was canceled by Amazon a few days after I made the purchase and my account was charged. I never heard anything from the seller as to why the sale was canceled. My money was refunded, however it took over a week for the refund to be process...   The Barefoot Running Book: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefo... by Jason Robillard Amazon Price: Customer Review: I recently received a copy of Jason Robillard's "The Barefoot Running Book" in the mail and was excited to see what this experienced barefooter had to say on the topic. I heard of Jason previously through both of site, Barefoot Chronicles. Jason is a...   What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (Vintage International) by Haruki Murakami Amazon Price: $9.97 Customer Review: "As long as my body allows, I'll keep on running," claims the writer of the oddest books I've ever read (especially Kafka on the Shore). Words that everyday average runners (like me) live by. Suffice it to say, though, that learning (while looking th...   Newsfeed display by CaRP

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