Static Lifestyle Accelerates Aging

At last I've got the opportunity of writing something for people of age. Actually, this article will be useful for anyone because sooner or later we will all become older than we wish to. So, I’m going to tell you how to stay younger for a longer period of time.

British studies suggest that people who are physically active in their free time may be biologically younger than couch potatoes. The thing is that a sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related diseases and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases, in a certain way it also influences the aging process itself.

As I’ve already said this statement is based on researches. The researchers looked at the physical activity levels, smoking habits and socioeconomic status of 2,401 white twins. They also collected DNA samples from participants, and examined the length of telomeres-repeated sequences at the end of chromosomes in white blood cells (leukocytes). It is known that leukocyte telomeres shorten over time and may serve as a marker of a person's biological age. Overall, the study participants had an average telomere loss of 21 nucleotides (structural units) per year. However those who were more active in their free time had longer leukocyte telomeres than those who were not.

The authors of the research wrote that "such a relationship between leukocyte telomere length and physical activity remained significant after adjustment for body-mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status and physical activity at work". Actually there work showed that the most active subjects had approximately the same length of telomeres as sedentary individuals up to 10 years younger.

The exposure of cells to oxygen and inflammation brings to their oxidative stress damage which may be a factor contributing to shorter telomere length in static people. Forcefulness has also been linked to telomere length. Practice may shorten stress and its effect on telomeres and the aging process, the study authors suggested.

It is recommended to spend 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week. Scientists suppose it can have significant health benefits. Consequently adults who partake in regular physical action are biologically younger than sedentary individuals. It provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to cooperate the potential anti-aging effect of regular exercise. However more research is needed to confirm a direct link between physical activity and aging.