The Fountain of Youth

Regular exercise is definitely the closest thing we have to the fountain of youth.  Here are just 12 ways that aerobic exercise slow down the aging process.  Thanks to Peter G. Snell, PhD and Steven Blair, PED

1) By lowering the rates at which telomeres (those little chromosome endings) erode, which means overall body wear and tear happens at a reduced speed

2) Lowers blood pressure

3) Increases heart and lung capacity and heart pumping power

4) Makes skin look younger (because of improved circulation)

5) Reduces length of time you experience hot flashes

6) Cuts your odds of getting ill (some studies suggest that regular exercisers have higher levels of immune cells that can help fight off certain types of cancer)

7) Helps raise HDL (good) cholesterol and improve other heart disease factors

8) Normalizes fasting insulin levels, reducing risk of diabetes

9) Sharpens the mind (lifelong exercise maintains the size of the hippocampus, where memory resides

10) Improves moods and fends off depression in many

11) Helps control weight

12) Improves digestion

Just 72 minutes of aerobic exercise a week was all it took for a group of hypertensive women 45 and over to significantly improve their cardiovascular health.  Just 72 minutes!!!  This was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Almost 20 years ago I wrote an article about how I suspected, after watching my students for 10 years, that aerobic exercise just might be the fountain of youth.  Some of those students are still working out with me!!!  Now I am SURE it is that illusive fountain.

Biking, dancing, running, walking, boxing, skipping, kicking, rowing, swimming, skating and any other form of continuous movement…Just keep doing it!