How exercise helps us age slower!

HOW EXERCISE HELPS US AGE SLOWER

We’re all well aware of the health benefits of exercise for our joints, heart and mind, but did you know that exercise helps us age slower too? As Hippocrates said “to rest is to rust, and to rust is to decay!” Research has found that our telomeres become shorter as we age and longer telomeres are associated with longevity, and guess what? People who exercise have longer telomeres! This suggests that exercise may turn off the ageing process in our chromosomes and slow the clock! We can’t change our chronological age, but exercise can make us LOOK and FEEL younger than we are, says Frank Frisch of Chapman University California. Researchers in Ontario University also found that frequent exercisers over 40, had skin that resembled the more supple, elastic akin of people in their 20s and 30s!

Without exercise the lymphatic system doesn’t work efficiently, so toxins stay in the body, our heart and lungs work less, and our cells get less oxygenated nutrient rich blood, leading to dull, ageing skin. Exercise results in cellular rejuvenation which makes us look more youthful. The secretion of one of the most important pro ageing hormones, the growth hormone, declines between age 30-50, but just 15 minutes exercise, a few times a week is enough to encourage the production of more of this precious youth hormone! Exercise also releases endorphins which make us feel good, and when we feel good we look good!

My favourite way to exercise, is brisk walking in forests, as exercising in greenscapes helps increase levels of seratonin - the happy hormone. Forest bathing is even used in Japan to treat depression.

What’s your favourite form of exercise?