Adult exercisers are on the right track because they are making it a point to stay healthy despite their busy lives. While it is easy to be active, run around, and play while you are a child and teen, it gets a lot harder to remain physically fit and agile as you get older. But if you miss out on exercise as an adult, you could be chopping years off your life. In fact, adult exercisers could actually be adding a decade to their lives! Continue reading to learn more.
Stay Younger on a Cellular Level
It turns out that you could potentially slow down the process of aging if you perform vigorous workout routines on a regular basis as an adult. A study was conducted that involved over 5,000 adults in the United States, and researchers concluded that individuals that work out regularly are actually younger even right down to the cellular level compared with individuals who lead a moderately active or sedentary lifestyle.
Preventative Medicine published this research, which analyzed the length of telomeres. These protective caps are found on the ends of your chromosomes and they help to keep those chromosomes stable. Telomeres become shorter each time a cell divides. Over time, they get so small that they are unable to properly protect those chromosomes, and as a result, the cells grow old and end up dying, which causes you to age and become more susceptible to disease.
Staying Active Is More Important Than You Thought
During the study, telomere length was analyzed alongside the level of physical activity that someone pursued. Researchers found that there were big differences between individuals who perform vigorous exercise and those who don’t. There could be two people aged 40, but the person who exercises more will appear younger.
What is considered vigorous activity, or a high level of activity? Experts claim that running anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes a day at least five times a week would hit the mark. Doing so will help you maintain longer telomere length and add years to your life.
Get Out There and Exercise!
As you can see, it is clear that science has proven that adult exercisers can be healthier than their sedentary counterparts. If you don’t like running, there are a lot of other workout routines that will get your body moving and your heart rate up. Consistency is the key, and you will love the way you look and feel as a result of your efforts.