Running is especially good for heart and joints

The Boston Marathon was today, signalling the start of marathon season.

It's no secret exercise is good for overall health but research shows running is especially good for your heart and your joints.

But you don't have to run 26-point-2 miles to reap the benefits of running.

Even casual jogging improves your heart health and can help you live longer.

A recent study followed more than 55-thousand runners between the ages of 18 and one-hundred.

It found running just five to ten minutes every day, even at a slow pace, reduced the risk of death and heart disease.

Another study finds people who run during middle and older ages face less disability and live longer than their non-running peers.

Dr. Donald Ford of the Cleveland Clinic says running is good for longevity, because it exercises your heart.

But as with all exercise, you have to ease into it.

"You have to be very careful as you approach this, whether you're a young person or an old person to make sure that you're protecting yourself, you're protecting yourself against injury, you're warming up correctly, and you're doing this in an appropriate fashion," says Dr. Ford.

And if you are completely new to exercise, but you find yourself inspired by today's marathon, don't forget to get the green light from your health care provider first.