It is no secret that physical activity tones up muscles, protects bones and burns calories. But recently, researchers uncovered a new benefit: exercise acts as a powerful brake on the ageing process
When University of Florida exercise physiologists put healthy people aged 60 to 85 on weight-training programmes for six months, then tested them for signs of free radical damage, they were surprised by the results. By the end of the study, low-intensity exercisers had a drop in free radical damage, while high-intensity exercisers had a slight increase and a control group of non-exercisers had a slight increase and a control of group of non-exercisers had a whopping 13 percent rise in free radical damage.
In another study, researchers found that an hour of activity a day for just three days raised levels of superoxide dismutase, an important free radical-fighting compound produced by muscle cells throughout the body, including in the heart.
Defend your heart The scientist suspect that aerobic activities such as walking and swimming help heart muscle better defend itself against the cascade of events that leads to a heart attack.
The cycle begins when free radicals 'oxidise' LDL Cholesterol in the bloodstream. Over time, this damaged cholesterol accumulates on artery walls in the form of gunky, dangerous plaque. When your immune system detects the plaque.
It sends in a clean-up crew, which attempts to whisk it away. If a pocket of plaque bursts, it can create blood clots that cause a heart attack. But if your heart muscle pumps out chemicals that disarm free radicals - such as the superoxide dismutase pumped out by the heart muscle cells of exercisers - cholesterol never gets a chance to oxidise, and the process doesn't get started.
Like a flu vaccine that switches on your body's natural defences, exercise works by unleashing a helpful amount of free radicals. They're produced naturally by little energy-generating 'machines'in your cells, mitochondria. Your body responds to this surge by pumping out more antioxidants and enzymes to mop up these villians. But if you exercise to exhaustion, the burst of free radicals overwhelms your defences.
Why exercise? Of course, that's not the only reason to take a walk or add extra bursts of activity to your day. studies show movement can:
the key action
Perform simple, natural, strengthening exercises every day, even if just for a few minutes.
When University of Florida exercise physiologists put healthy people aged 60 to 85 on weight-training programmes for six months, then tested them for signs of free radical damage, they were surprised by the results. By the end of the study, low-intensity exercisers had a drop in free radical damage, while high-intensity exercisers had a slight increase and a control group of non-exercisers had a slight increase and a control of group of non-exercisers had a whopping 13 percent rise in free radical damage.
In another study, researchers found that an hour of activity a day for just three days raised levels of superoxide dismutase, an important free radical-fighting compound produced by muscle cells throughout the body, including in the heart.
Defend your heart The scientist suspect that aerobic activities such as walking and swimming help heart muscle better defend itself against the cascade of events that leads to a heart attack.
The cycle begins when free radicals 'oxidise' LDL Cholesterol in the bloodstream. Over time, this damaged cholesterol accumulates on artery walls in the form of gunky, dangerous plaque. When your immune system detects the plaque.
It sends in a clean-up crew, which attempts to whisk it away. If a pocket of plaque bursts, it can create blood clots that cause a heart attack. But if your heart muscle pumps out chemicals that disarm free radicals - such as the superoxide dismutase pumped out by the heart muscle cells of exercisers - cholesterol never gets a chance to oxidise, and the process doesn't get started.
Like a flu vaccine that switches on your body's natural defences, exercise works by unleashing a helpful amount of free radicals. They're produced naturally by little energy-generating 'machines'in your cells, mitochondria. Your body responds to this surge by pumping out more antioxidants and enzymes to mop up these villians. But if you exercise to exhaustion, the burst of free radicals overwhelms your defences.
Why exercise? Of course, that's not the only reason to take a walk or add extra bursts of activity to your day. studies show movement can:
- Ease the ache of arthritis
- Lower your Alzheimer's risk
- Keep your bones strong
- Soothe anxiety
- Reduce your chances of developing diabetes
- Lower your odds for colon, breast and prostate cancer
- Help you to sleep better
- Boost your energy levels
- Help you to achieve your healthiest weight
the key action
Perform simple, natural, strengthening exercises every day, even if just for a few minutes.
- Maintain muscle strength
- Improve balance and flexibility
It is never too late The flip side: not exercising nearly doubles your risk of a heart attack. According to the British Heart Foundation, someone in the UK dies every 15 minutes as a direct result of physical inactivity.
Don't worry if you've never exercised before. People who don't exercise regularly may reap the most benefits from starting, especially if they add some strength-training moves. Muscle strength declines by 15 percent per decade after age 50 and by 30 percent per decade after the age of 70, but resistance training can result in 25 to 100 percent strength gains or more.
Taking regular light exercise can offset the changes to muscle and tendon structure that occur as people grow older and which make them more susceptible to injuries an aching joints. According to research at Manchester Metropolitan University, regular gentle exercise in older people boosts muscle performance, strenghtens tendons and increases muscular stability, strength and power - enabling them to remain mobile, indepedent and active for longer, as well as reducing the risk of falls.
Dr Susan Gilchrist of the Biotechnology an Biological Sciences Research Council in the Uk, which sponspored the research, says, 'we aren't suggesting intensive training, but it's worth considering that as we get older a little light exercise can help our muscles to stay strong so they can look after us as we continue to age.'
Break out in a sweat 'Use it or lose it' is the message, according to Dr Iain Lang, of the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth. Along EUS researchers, his team studied data from
Exercise by numbers
Exercising for 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week for a year can offer these amazing rewards. Infact, you'll start to benefit after just six weeks.
31b The amount of sleek, energising, calorie-burning muscle you'll build
7% The resulting boost to your metabolism
25% The improvement in your body's ability to process blood sugar
1 to 3% The increase in your bone density
55% The improvement in your digestion
40% The drop in your risk of dying in the next eight years
60% The reduction in your risk of getting Alzheimer's
over 10,000 people aged 50 to 69 and followed them for up to six years in UK an US studies. They found that those who did half an hour's vigorous activity three times a week halved their risk of physical decline and impaired mobility compared with more sedentary study participants. Vigorous exercise could include mowing the lawn, sweeping leaves or heavy housework, not just sports - indeed, any activity that involves physical labour and makes you breathless or sweaty. What's more, the benefit of exercise occurred across all weight ranges. Irrespective of their initial body mass index, people who maintained a reasonable level of physical activity in middle age were more likely to be able to walk distances, climb stairs and maintain their sense of balance and hand-grip strength as they got older. And fit, obese people fared as well as, or better than, thin, unfit subjects.
great advice For a fresh new look at exercise, as well as simple, at-home fitness routines for any age or exertion level, turn to the 'Move to feel good'
Don't worry if you've never exercised before. People who don't exercise regularly may reap the most benefits from starting, especially if they add some strength-training moves. Muscle strength declines by 15 percent per decade after age 50 and by 30 percent per decade after the age of 70, but resistance training can result in 25 to 100 percent strength gains or more.
Taking regular light exercise can offset the changes to muscle and tendon structure that occur as people grow older and which make them more susceptible to injuries an aching joints. According to research at Manchester Metropolitan University, regular gentle exercise in older people boosts muscle performance, strenghtens tendons and increases muscular stability, strength and power - enabling them to remain mobile, indepedent and active for longer, as well as reducing the risk of falls.
Dr Susan Gilchrist of the Biotechnology an Biological Sciences Research Council in the Uk, which sponspored the research, says, 'we aren't suggesting intensive training, but it's worth considering that as we get older a little light exercise can help our muscles to stay strong so they can look after us as we continue to age.'
Break out in a sweat 'Use it or lose it' is the message, according to Dr Iain Lang, of the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth. Along EUS researchers, his team studied data from
Exercise by numbers
Exercising for 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week for a year can offer these amazing rewards. Infact, you'll start to benefit after just six weeks.
31b The amount of sleek, energising, calorie-burning muscle you'll build
7% The resulting boost to your metabolism
25% The improvement in your body's ability to process blood sugar
1 to 3% The increase in your bone density
55% The improvement in your digestion
40% The drop in your risk of dying in the next eight years
60% The reduction in your risk of getting Alzheimer's
over 10,000 people aged 50 to 69 and followed them for up to six years in UK an US studies. They found that those who did half an hour's vigorous activity three times a week halved their risk of physical decline and impaired mobility compared with more sedentary study participants. Vigorous exercise could include mowing the lawn, sweeping leaves or heavy housework, not just sports - indeed, any activity that involves physical labour and makes you breathless or sweaty. What's more, the benefit of exercise occurred across all weight ranges. Irrespective of their initial body mass index, people who maintained a reasonable level of physical activity in middle age were more likely to be able to walk distances, climb stairs and maintain their sense of balance and hand-grip strength as they got older. And fit, obese people fared as well as, or better than, thin, unfit subjects.
great advice For a fresh new look at exercise, as well as simple, at-home fitness routines for any age or exertion level, turn to the 'Move to feel good'
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