To Your Health
January, 2020 (Vol. 14, Issue 01) |
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Exercise & Healthy Aging: A Great Combination
By Editorial Staff
Healthy aging – it's on everyone's mind these days, no matter their age. Exercise is also a buzzword, whether as a tool for weight loss, stress reduction, physical fitness ... or yes, healthy aging. Fortunately, the two go hand in hand, and the earlier you start, the better.
Research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology links aerobic exercise with lower levels of inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effect of aerobic exercise can help reverse some of the natural inflammatory process that occurs with aging. In other words, aging = more inflammation, but exercise = less inflammation!
The study evaluated inflammation in three age groups: young exercisers, old, healthy non-exercisers and lifelong exercisers (particularly with a history of aerobic training). Results showed that "while aging led to a pro-inflammatory profile within blood and muscle, lifelong exercise partially prevented this and generally preserved the acute inflammatory response to exercise seen in young exercising men." What's that mean? The study authors put it in simple terms: "Lifelong exercise may positively impact muscle health throughout aging by promoting anti-inflammation in skeletal muscle." Your doctor can tell you more about the anti-aging benefits of exercise and help outline an exercise program that's right for you.
