Research suggests that running can slow the effects of ageing. Elderly joggers remained fit for longer than non-runners and were half as likely to die prematurely.

They were also less likely to suffer heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders. The study of runners and non-runners, aged 50 and over, spanned two decades, and began in 1984 when some feared the new jogging craze might be harmful.

Prof James Fries, of Stanford’s School of Medicine, California, which did the research, said: “If you had to pick one thing to make people healthier as they age, it would be aerobic exercise.”