Thanks to the power of research, the phrase, “you are not getting older, you are getting better” rings true if you commit to adding activity into your daily routine.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham and King’s College in London, England conducted a study recently that shows staying active during all stages of your life keeps your body young and healthy.
The study recruited 125 amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79, 84 of which were male and 41 were female. The men had to be able to cycle 100 km in under 6.5 hours, while the women had to be able to cycle 60 km in 5.5 hours. Final results showed that loss of muscle mass and strength did not occur in those who exercised regularly.
The study also revealed that the benefits of exercise extend beyond muscle as the cyclists also had an immune system that did not seem to have aged either. An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T cells, starts to shrink from the age of 20 and makes less T cells. In this study, however, the cyclists’ thymuses were making as many T cells as those of a young person.
Researchers were excited to share this information as it provides strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we may be living longer, but not healthier.
No one is saying you have to climb mountains or go cave diving, unless you really want to. You should take up an activity you like to do in whatever environment that works for you.
The key is to make it a part of your daily activities. Start cycling to work for example if you live within a respectable radius, or start playing table tennis. What about ballroom or square dancing? Getting up and moving on a regular basis is the important factor.
To do things right, and to give you the best chance of sticking with a new exercise program for the long-run, you have to be patient. Talk to a professional to get your exercise program started on the right foot.
And remember, there is no evidence of a magic potion to keep you young or fountain of youth, but there now is scientific proof that shows regular exercise will help keep you young.
To review the study you can visit:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180308143123.htm
