Why Exercise Might Be the Best Anti-Aging Method

Nowadays, we increasingly regard exercise as a kind of magical medicine we possess, especially when we see celebrities who maintain exercise habits still looking young in their forties. Aging is inevitable, but it turns out that we can make ourselves look younger and maintain good cardiopulmonary function and muscle strength through exercise, enhancing overall health levels.

Any intensity of activity is healthier than prolonged sitting.

A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2018 found that older adults who spent less time sitting and more time being active showed fewer signs of heart disease.

Scientists had 1,600 British volunteers aged 60 to 64 wear heart rate monitors for 5 days. They analyzed the participants' activity levels and compared them with heart disease indicators (such as precursors for cholesterol and a substance called interleukin-6).

Overall, participants with more activity had lower levels of all negative biomarkers. When researchers looked at the participants' activities in 10-minute increments, the effects were even apparent. Every 10 minutes of some form of exercise—whether it was walking, playing tennis, or gardening—was associated with a measurable improvement in at least one biomarker related to heart health. Conversely, every 10 minutes of sitting was associated with poorer biomarker results.

These results suggest that physical exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease. The study's author, Professor Ahmed Elhakeem, an epidemiologist at the University of Bristol, said in a statement, "It's important to replace sedentary time with any intensity of activity."

Which type of exercise is better?

When it comes to determining which type of exercise is more effective, both aerobic exercise and strength training play crucial roles in keeping our hearts and minds youthful.

Aerobic exercises, such as running or cycling, enhance our heart's pumping capacity and metabolic activities like sweating, while strength training helps maintain muscle mass, ensuring that muscles that naturally age over time remain strong.

Both types of exercises are essential for heart health, as certain parts of the heart can become stiff with age. The left ventricle of the heart, which plays a key role in supplying the body with fresh oxygenated blood, is particularly susceptible to age-related damage.

A recent study published in the journal Circulation in 2018 found that adults who engaged in supervised aerobic exercise four to five times a week showed significant improvements in heart function over two years compared to a control group that only performed basic stretching and balance exercises. These results suggest that regular aerobic exercise can prevent and even reverse some of the stiffness in the heart.

The study's author, Dr. Benjamin Levine, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, stated, "Based on a series of studies my team has conducted over the past five years, this type of exercise has become a prescription for life."

Regular exercise is more anti-aging.

In May 2018, a large review of nearly 100 studies published in the journal Neurology Clinical Practice found that older adults who exercised three times a week for about 40 minutes showed significant cognitive advantages compared to those who were sedentary or barely active.

These benefits included faster processing speed and excellent performance on ability tests that assess skills such as time management and attention.

Joyce Gomes-Osman, a physical therapist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said, "This proves that by adopting a regular exercise routine, you can actually turn back the clock of aging in your brain.

The intensity of exercise is less important than the regularity of it. Growing evidence suggests that the amount of time spent in a single workout matters less than the total time spent in the gym over the long term. This means that whether our most recent workout was 5 minutes or 50 minutes, it is less important than whether we regularly participate in sports or other physical activities several times a week.