Exercise helps to ward off common diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer that are associated with aging, but exercise may do more than just keep age-related diseases at bay. Research shows that working out alters cellular DNA in such a way that cells age more slowly. When your cells age more slowly so do you. Find out how exercise slows down aging at the cellular level.
Exercise and Aging: How Exercise Affects Your Genes
Chromosomes, the genetic material inside cells, are made up of DNA. At the end of chromosomes are sequences of DNA called telomeres. Telomeres help to protect the chromosomes from damage during replication by serving as protective “end caps.” When chromosomes replicate repeatedly over time these telomeres gradually become shorter. This shortening increases the risk of age-related diseases like cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It also speeds up the aging process.
Researchers believe telomere length is a marker for cell aging and for human aging at a higher level. Genetics play a role in how long your telomeres are, but that’s not something you have control over. But it turns out that exercise may slow down the rate at which your telomeres decrease in length, thereby slowing down how fast your cells age. You can’t control your genes, but you can work out regularly. And that can make a difference in how fast you and your cells age.
Exercise to Slow Down Aging
According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, physical activity has a direct impact on telomere length. According to their research, men and women who are less physically active have shorter telomere lengths than those who exercise regularly. In fact, they discovered that individuals who were the most active had telomere lengths that were typical of someone 10 years younger. So a 40-year old who works out on a regular basis may have a biological age of only 30. Sounds like a pretty good reason to stay active, doesn’t it?
Research also shows that having a high BMI and smoking is linked with shorter telomeres and faster cell aging. Chronic stress also seems to shorten telomere length and accelerate the cell aging process. Exercise plays a role here too. Researchers found that exercise prevents telomere shortening due to stress. Stress certainly seems to add a few more gray hairs, but doing a vigorous workout could be a natural remedy for the harmful effects of stress.
People who are under stress also have higher levels of inflammatory markers. Exercise increases inflammation initially, but over the long-term, it reduces it by helping the body better deal with it. So exercise attacks the aging process in more than one way – by slowing down telomere shortening and by reducing inflammation.
The Bottom Line?
Exercise is one of the best ways to slow down the aging process. Working out regularly can have a profound effect on how you feel and how rapidly you age, and it’s never too late to start. According to the American Council on Exercise, you can still benefit from exercise even if you don’t begin until after 50. So if you want to slow down the aging process and keep your cells healthy, do it by working up a sweat.
References:
Archives of Internal Medicine. Vol. 168, No. 2, January 28, 2008.
Wisdom Magazine. “Inflammation, Exercise and Aging”
American Council on Exercise: Fitness for Older Adults
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