����vlog

Research from Utah-based Brigham Young University finds that exercise can slow the aging process. According to the study, people who engage in elevated levels of physical activity on a regular basis have "significantly longer" telomeres than people who exercise moderately or not at all. "Just because you're 40, doesn't mean you're 40-years-old biologically," said Exercise Science Professor Larry Tucker. "We all know people that seem younger than their actual age. The more physically active we are, the less biological aging takes place in our bodies." Telomeres are structures of DNA protein found at both ends of each chromosome. We lose small portions of the endcaps every time a cell replicates - as we age, our telomeres shorten.Adults who engage in high levels of physical activity possess telomeres with biological ages that are nine years younger than people who don't exercise, and seven years younger than people who exercise moderately. The shortest telomeres were found in inactive people. What qualifies as highly active? For women, it's engaging in at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five days a week. Men who exercise for at least 40 minutes five days per week are considered highly active. "If you want to see a real difference in slowing your biological aging, it appears that a little exercise won't cut it," Tucker said. "You have to work out regularly at high levels."More than 5,800 adults were analyzed in the study, which drew data from the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which tracked subjects' telomere length values.Researchers are still investigating exactly how exercise preserves telomeres, but Tucker believes it may be linked to a reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress. "We know that regular physical activity helps to reduce mortality and prolong life, and now we know part of that advantage may be due to the preservation of telomeres," he said.