Apparently exercise is not exercise when it comes to jogging. Some new research has found that too much jogging is actually as bad for the body as not exercising at all. The surprising report was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Over a 12 year period, over 1,000 people were studies based on their jogging habits. Some of the sample were healthy, others were not. The findings that went along with prior knowledge saw that the people who jogged at a steady pace for around two and half hours a week saw health benefits, and they were the least likely group to die.

The surprising findings however, found that the people who ran for more than four hours a week were the highest group to die besides the people who did not run or jog at all. This seemed to be associated with both the intensity of the run and also the time spent doing it.

Based on these findings the researchers suggest that the ideal pace to jog is at five miles per hour, and for no more than two and half hours a week or three days. Brisk walking is also a good option for safely getting in the proper amount of fitness without having any adverse side effects.

As for why jogging can have adverse health effects, the researchers are not entirely sure. It has been suggested that it might have something to do with how the heart is affected. There might even be a restructuring of the heart and arteries that takes place when strenuous exercise is practiced over the long term.

The scientist who lead the study, Dr Peter Schnohr, from Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark touched on the importance of pace.

“It is important to emphasize that the pace of the slow joggers corresponds to vigorous exercise and strenuous jogging corresponds to very vigorous exercise. When performed for decades, this activity level could pose health risks, especially to the cardiovascular system,” he said.