A study published earlier this year proves that people who engage in moderate exercise are biologically younger than their inactive counterparts.
The study looked at certain biological markers in the DNA of test subjects and found that people who exercise regularly and with some intensity (i.e. picking up the remote control to change channels doesn't count) had the same biological markers as people ten years younger.
"Lynn F. Cherkas of King's College London and colleagues studied 2,401 white twins, administering questionnaires on physical activity level, smoking habits and socioeconomic status. The participants also provided a blood sample from which DNA was extracted.
The researchers examined the length of telomeres -- repeated sequences at the end of chromosomes -- in the twins' white blood cells.... These telomeres progressively shorten over time and may serve as a marker of biological age.
The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found the mean difference in... the telomeres length between the most active -- who performed an average of 199 minutes of physical activity per week -- and least active -- 16 minutes of physical activity per week -- subjects was 200 nucleotides.
In other words, the most active subjects had telomeres the same length as sedentary individuals up to 10 years younger, on average."[1]
So, here's the deal. 199 minutes of activity per week equates to about 28 minutes per day. That means getting out and walking, running, bike riding, playing with your kids, dancing to your favorite tunes or working out with your favorite aerobics DVD instructor every day - or just 40 minutes per day 5x/week.
If you want to not only liver longer AND healthier, an active lifestyle will provide that and many other benefits as well. So, put down the channel changer (or push back from the keyboard) and go out there and enjoy your day!
[1]Source: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2008/01/28/Exercise_may_be_fountain_of_youth/UPI-29121201566405
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