Health & LifestyleFor a Longer Life, Go Running

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle Report.

We all know that exercise is good for your health. But some kinds of exercise may be better than others. Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems. Running also may help you live longer.Researchers say it is not important how far you run. It also does not matter how fast or even how often you run.As advertisements for the running shoe Nike say, just do it.Recently, researchers studied more than 55,000 adults. About one-fourth of the adults reported running regularly. The study found these runners were considerably less likely than non-runners to die of any form of disease, including heart disease. In fact, the runners lived, on average, three years longer than the non-runners.This study lasted 15 years. During that time, more than 3,400 of the individuals died. About 1,200 of the deaths were linked to heart disease, a heart attack or stroke. One of the researchers is a man named D.C. Lee. He is an assistant professor of kinesiology, or the science of movement, at Iowa State University. Compared to non-runners, he says, runners showed a much lower risk of dying from some diseases.

Compared to non-runners, runners showed 30 percent lower risk of death by any causes, including heart attack, stroke or cancer. Also, runners compared to non-runners showed 45 percent lower risk of death by cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.D.C. Lee and the other researchers found that speed, distance and how often one runs made little difference in reducing the risk of death. The runners in the study averaged between 10 and 16 kilometers per hour. Mr. Lee says slower runners, and those who only ran once or twice a week, were helped nearly as much as those who ran faster and further.And also we looked at the running over time and we found that persistent runners - over I think six years - they showed the biggest benefits, as well.To stay healthy, doctors suggest that adults up to age 65 do 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week. They say these individuals need 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, like running, every week for good health.But how complete is this study?The researchers note that their study was based on the participants' answering questions over the years. The study lacked complete information on what these men and women ate and other facts about their lifestyles.Researchers say this missing information could have affected the results. Still, they hope their findings will motivate healthy adults to start running, a bit, down the road to a longer life.Five tips for safe runningRunning may be good exercise, but it can be difficult on the body. Here are five commonly shared ideas among fitness experts to reduce the risk of injury for people new to running or jogging.Take it easyDo not run too much, too soon or too fast. Most people get running injuries when they push themsleves too hard. The body needs time to get used to increases in distance or speed. Muscles and joints need time to recover.Listen to your bodyMost running injuries do not come out of the blue. Usually, there are warning signs. They may include body aches, sore muscles and pain that does not go away.Get good running shoesThere is no single best shoe for every runner. You should find the shoe that offers the best fit and support for your feet. More importantly, you should replace your shoes every 500 to 800 kilometers.

Take good notesTake some time after each run to write down notes about what you did and how you felt. Look for patterns, things that happen over and over again.For example, you may find that your knees ache when you run on consecutive or back-to-back days. But perhaps you feel great when you rest in between running days. These notes will help you identify the best workout for you.Cross trainFitness experts recommend mixing up running with an exercise like yoga that is easier on the body. Here, New Yorkers do yoga in Times Square, June 2014. (AP PHOTO)Fitness experts recommend mixing up running with an exercise like yoga that is easier on the body. Here, New Yorkers do yoga in Times Square, June 2014. (AP PHOTO)As we said earlier, running is hard on your body. So physical fitness experts suggest some form of cross training to improve muscle balance and to help you stay injury free.They say swimming, cycling, and yoga are good exercises to combine with running. These exercises are easier on the body.Im Anna Matteo.Jessica Berman wrote this report. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English with additional material from RunnersWorld.com.Are you a runner? Share your thoughts and running tips in the comments section._____________________________________________________________Words in This Story regularly adv. at the same time every day, week, month, etc.: on a regular basis

kinesiology n. the study of the mechanics of body movements

moderate adj. average in size or amount: neither too much nor too little

vigorous adj. done with great force and energy

out of the blue idiom. without warning; unexpectedly

consecutive adj. following one after the other in a series : following each other without interruption

workout n. a period of physical exercise that you do in order to improve your fitness, ability, or performance

fitness n. the quality or state of being fit or in shape

As It IsMen Escape American High Security Prison

This combination made from photos released by the New York State Police shows inmates David Sweat, left, and Richard Matt. (New York State Police via AP)Two men escaped from a maximum-security prison in the American state of New York last Saturday, June 6. The escape received a lot of attention in American media and around-the-clock coverage on cable news networks.It is hard to escape from prison in the United States. It is also fairly rare and getting rarer. The latest numbers show less than point two percent of the prison population escaped in 2012. That is about 2,500 people out of 1.3 million.The number is not insignificant. But, it is a huge drop from twenty years earlier. In 1993, more than 14,000 prisoners escaped. And the entire U.S. prison population that year was about 780,000.Some prisoners just walk away...These numbers are for all prisons. In many cases, the prisoners walked away from work details or boot camps. Escapes are rare from prisons with the highest level of security, called maximum-security prisons. Only one maximum-security prisoner escaped in the years from 2009 to 2013.The most recent escape was especially shocking. Two men escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Dannemora, New York. The prison was built in the Adirondack Mountains in 1845. There have been other escapes from Clinton prison. But none of those escapees were free as long as the most recent, convicted murderers, David Sweat and Richard Matt.

... While others have to dig through wallsHole in the wall of one escapee's cell.Hole in the wall of one escapee's cell.The two men had cells next to each other. Each dug a hole through his cell and used power tools to cut through sewer pipes. On the night of the escape, they stuffed their bed coverings with clothes to make it look like they were asleep.Investigators believe that the two travelled inside the walls of the prison along a narrow walk. Then they climbed down and made their way to sewer pipes and crawled to freedom through a manhole in a street in the town of Dannemora.The men left a note on one of the pipes. It had a cartoon picture of an Asian person and the message, Have a nice day.A Hollywood worthy prison break

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stands along the path the escapees used to break out of the prison in Dannemora.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stands along the path the escapees used to break out of the prison in Dannemora.The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, the news media and others have compared the Dannemora prison break to the 1994 Hollywood movie, The Shawshank Redemption.

In that movie, Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a man found guilty of killing his wife and her lover. The character always says he is innocent of the crime. Andy spends many years in a prison in Maine before escaping through sewer pipes. And he also had a close friendship with another prisoner. But, unlike David Sweat and Richard Matt, Andy escapes alone.

Help from the inside

Police say Sweat and Matt had help from at least one prison worker. Joyce Mitchell is said to have developed a relationship with both men. She told police Matt made her feel special. And, police say, the prison in the last 12 months investigated a report that Ms. Mitchell and David Sweat had become close.

Police say prison officials reportedly separated the two but did not find enough evidence to take any action against Joyce Mitchell.

Investigators say Ms. Mitchell had planned to drive the prisoners away after they were out of the prison. But she reportedly had a change of mind. She went to a hospital instead, suffering from a panic attack.

Police say Joyce Mitchell is cooperating with them in their investigation. They also say their investigation shows that she did not provide the prisoners with power tools. But they say she did bring illegal material into Clinton.

Ms. Mitchell is married to another worker at the prison. Her family has strongly defended her, saying she would not assist the escape. But, her former husband says Joyce Mitchell was unfaithful during their marriage and expects she is cheating now.

Police continue to search for the escapees. Search dogs picked up the prisoners scent within a couple of kilometers from the prison. But it is not clear when in the last week the men might have been there.

Im Caty Weaver.

Caty Weaver wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.______________________________________________________________Words in This Story insignificant adj. small or unimportant

convicted v. to prove that someone is guilty of a crime in a court of law

sewer n. a pipe that is usually underground and that is used to carry off water and human waste

panic n. a state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally

unfaithful adj. having a sexual relationship with someone who is not your wife, husband, or partner

How secure is the prison system in your country? We want to hear from you. Post your thoughts in the comments section.