According to recent research, running six miles a week can extend your life by up to three to six years.

Running those six miles a week also reduces the risk of several chronic diseases, according to a review of research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

A distinguished group of US-based cardiologists, exercise physiologists and epidemiologists collaborated on the review. It contains no new material or research, but summarises results of the best, large-scale studies on runners. All of the studies included at least 500 runners and at least five years of follow-up.

Most of the paper’s conclusions are unsurprising. Running improves weight management, blood pressure and glucose control, and lowers the risk of some cancers, respiratory disease, stroke, benign prostatic hypertrophy and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

Higher mileage provides no more longevity benefit, according to the research summary. In fact, running more than 20 miles a week may erase some of the gain.

I’m certainly no expert on running and have really only caught the bug in the past year or so, but for someone in their forties, having been leading a slightly lethargic lifestyle, getting out for a run a few times a week certainly hasn’t done me any harm.

Not just physically, but mentally, I have seen the benefits. I have more energy every day and the feeling I get after a good run is almost second to none.

I’d like to think that the running bug has been infectious as more and more friends seem to be taking up running, plus my daughter now loves getting out and having a dash at the weekend as part of the Junior parkrun.

Is it any real surprise that running is good for you though? Probably not. My philosophy on life is eat less, move more. It’s that straightforward.

I’ve got a Fitbit and that seems to inspire me to get off my backside and eat less biscuits.

Having had one for over a year now I am constantly checking to see if I have done my 10,000 steps for the day and how many calories I have burned.

After a lovely 5km parkrun at Leybourne Lakes at the weekend (in the snow I may add), I clearly wasn’t thinking straight as the Fitbit ended up in the washing machine. Thank god for Iphone tracking technology and a well built product that survived forty degrees and my pants.

I was interested to hear on the radio the other week that a school in Scotland gets every pupil to walk or run at least a mile a day whilst on the premises.

The staggering results were that the school now has no pupils regarded as obese, attendance has gone up and so has the pupils’ grades.

Is there any better research than that?

Kent has loads of fantastic running groups with pretty much all of them free to join and very inclusive.

The weather may not be the best at this time of year, but believe it or not, that’s the best time to go running if you are new to it. It’s dark so no one sees you and cold so you don’t tend to get all hot and sweaty!

I implore anyone thinking about giving running a go to just do it. What harm can it do?

To find out about the Run Kent programme and how you can get involved, please visit: www.kentsport.org/running

If you’d like to become a qualified Run Leader and set up your own running sessions in your local area, please visit: www.runengland.org/lirf