Researchers found that people who are classified as light to moderate joggers had lower mortality rates than strenuous runners or those who didn’t run at all. The Copenhagen City Heart Study found that the sweet spot for jogging was running two to three times weekly at a slow speed for 1 to 2.5 miles.

According to BBC Science Focus Magazine, slow running is defined as a pace at which you can converse easily.

“Slow running helps to reduce resting blood pressure and it promotes a stronger heart,” said Dan Gordon, associate professor of cardiorespiratory exercise physiology at Anglia Ruskin University in England. “You’re still putting your system under stress, but what we’re starting to understand is that you don’t need to put the body under excessive amounts of stress to get cardiovascular adaptation.”

Slow running improves the strength and pumping capacity of the heart, but it also boosts health at the metabolic level, improving insulin resistance and encouraging your body to use stored fat for energy.

Another benefit is that slow runners recover faster and are less likely to suffer overuse injuries.