2. Fitness: A Fountain of Youth that Slows Aging and Optimizes Health

We’ve always known that exercise is good for our body and can help us maintain a healthy weight. But we don’t always know the specifics of exactly what it does for us. Besides making our body stronger and helping us maintain a healthy weight, exercise can slow the aging process and optimize our health.

Slow the Aging Process

In numerous studies, physical activity has been associated with alterations in telomere length, an indicator of biological aging. 5 Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes. Just as the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces keep the laces from fraying, telomeres prevent chromosomes from fraying or tangling with one another. Think of them as a biological clock that affects how our cells age. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter, causing us to age and be more vulnerable to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. When the telomeres get too short, the cell can no longer divide and dies.

The good part? Longer telomeres slow down the aging process and are associated with health and longevity—and studies show that the more physically active you are, the longer your telomeres. People who exercised the most had telomeres similar in length to inactive people who were up to 10 years younger. 6 Research also suggests that exercise may be more important than genes when it comes to keeping people young. A study looking at a group of 2,401 twins showed that when one twin was sedentary and the other was active, the active twin had longer telomeres. 7 Investigators have found that higher-intensity activity is associated with longer telomere length, even in older adults. 8 Thus, people who exercise regularly tend to look and feel younger than their actual age, and now research may be able to explain it at a cellular level.

Optimize Health

So many scientific studies have accumulated over the last two decades that the incredible benefits of exercise are now indisputable. 9

Here’s a summary of the science-backed ways exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you:

• Improve mood and lower depression: When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that can improve your mood, reduce stress, ward off anxiety and depression, and make you feel more relaxed.
• Reduce chronic pain: Exercise has been shown to decrease inflammation and overall pain levels with no additional medication.
• Keep your brain sharp and lower the risk of dementia: Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve thinking, learning, and judgment skills as you age. And research shows it keeps dementia at bay and eases some of its symptoms for those who already have it.
• Improve sexual function: In men, exercise can improve sexual function and reduce the effects of erectile dysfunction. In women, exercise may increase sexual arousal.
• Reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease: Regular exercise strengthens your heart and improves circulation, which helps reduce the risk of high cholesterol , coronary artery disease , and heart attack. Exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
• Strengthen your bones: We already know that exercise can build muscle and strength in older adults. Exercise can also prevent the loss of bone density (osteoporosis) that comes with aging.
• Reduce your risk of cancer: Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of breast, uterine, colon , and lung cancers.
• Improve your sleep: Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
• Reduce your risk of falls: Research shows that exercise can improve balance and help reduce your risk of falling.
• Control weight: Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in preventing obesity and helping you to lose weight.
• Speedy recovery from illness or injury: Regular exercise by older adults may decrease the time it takes for a wound to heal by 25 percent. Also, a fit body can better fight off infection and recover more easily from illness or injury.
• Manage blood sugar and insulin level: Exercise can reduce your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by lowering your blood sugar and helping your insulin work better. If you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you better manage it.

As you can see, the benefits of exercise go far beyond improving strength and physical function. In addition to building a stronger and more capable body, exercise will also change your overall health, longevity, and quality of life in powerful ways.

Key Takeaways

• Research has demonstrated that higher-intensity activity can actually slow the aging process in older adults by altering telomere length, an indicator of biological aging.
• Regular exercise is essential for healthy aging and offers many health benefits, including reduced risk of chronic diseases and cancer, management of chronic pain, and improved sleep.
• Being fit is good for the mind as well as the body. Exercise has been shown to lower depression, improve mood, and keep your memory sharp.

Action Steps

• Look at the list of science-backed ways exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you, and make a list of the ones that apply to you. Then, think about how your life would be better if exercise improved just a few of the issues on your list.
• If you’re a family member or a caregiver for an older adult you’d like to help with exercise, share the information you’ve learned in this chapter with them.