Stay young longer with exercise
Exercise is a way of life that has a positive long-term effect on health and aging. This has now been confirmed by a medical study.
It is interesting that exercise is more important than ideal weight. Ultimately, one leads to the other. In 2015, the British University of London and Birmingham evaluated the results of various tests that 126 men and women between the ages of 55 and 79, all of whom were very active on racing bikes, undertook. The aim was to obtain information about the progression of classic age-related problems such as muscle strength, reflexes, memory performance and endurance. The results were then mixed with those of much younger subjects and sent anonymously and without age information to several doctors The astonishing result: numerous participants from the group of racing cyclists between 55 and 79 years of age could not be assigned to a particular age group. Many of them were classified as being around 40 years old, both in terms of memory performance and in terms of balance and reflexes. Only muscle strength and endurance were slightly below the values of the younger subjects.
Maintaining muscle strength promotes overall health Condition
One reason for the surprising result is, in addition to increased endurance, the increased muscle strength, which has a positive effect on the health of the body. If people lose around 70 percent of their muscle mass by the age of 40 without training, this can be counteracted by lifelong exercise. The proven best method for preventing complaints such as heart disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Hypertension, prevent dementia or high cholesterol and strengthen the immune system.
Exercise more important than ideal weight
It doesn't have to be racing bikes. Just 20 minutes of brisk walking a day, incorporated into everyday activities such as shopping, or regular light jogging and walking, has a significantly positive effect on health. This is proven by other studies such as the famous Copenhagen Heart Study from 2012 and the one from Cambridge in 2015, which questioned the effects of weight loss and exercise on health. Ultimately, it is the health-promoting factors of exercise on the body that are responsible for well-being. Exercise lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart muscle, mobility and bone density increase, blood sugar levels drop, lung function increases and weight is automatically reduced. In addition, the immune system is strengthened, so that Diseases can be better counteracted. Especially for older people, the promotion of the sense of balance, concentration and the proven reduction of StressIn the long term, this can prevent or mitigate age-related falls and dementia. Likewise, exercise reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and arthritis by more than half, according to a 2010 Boston Harvard study. Autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis exercise has a positive effect.
Regular exercise is crucial
But it has also become clear that exercise must be a way of life for a fit life. Walking or cycling instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, gardening or doing gymnastics instead of watching TV - these are the approaches to a healthy, long life. All doctors agree on this.