How motivated are you to try to slow down your body’s aging? Motivated enough to tie on a pair of running shoes and start training for a marathon? If so, the good news is that new research out of University College London reports that training for a first marathon may reverse the aging of your blood vessels and reduce your blood pressure. And the best news from the study is that those who benefited most from the training were first-time runners who were older and slower. In essence, getting to that finish line may rejuvenate your heart health on par with taking medication. Intrigued? Put together that training playlist and read more here. And for some first-hand experience of the joys of running a marathon, watch 61-year-old marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson discuss her run after completion of the Boston Marathon.

But say you’re not up to running a marathon (which probably includes most of us!). Should running still be part of your exercise routine? There’s lots of research suggesting running has significant benefits as an antidote to many aspects of aging. Yet many of us have painful knees or other ailments that may discourage us from getting on a track or trail. Clearly, to start or continue running as we get older means being wise and being smart. So after you check in with your physician, check out this advice to ensure you’re running safely as an older adult.