To Your Health
September, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 09) |
|
|
Anti-Aging the Natural Way
By Editorial Staff
Americans go to great lengths to reduce the signs of aging. But risky surgeries and synthetic injections are not the answer. What is? Good old-fashioned exercise.
A recent study in
PLoS One evaluated the effects of six months of strength training in volunteers ages 65 or older. Researchers compared thigh-muscle cells from the seniors with cells from volunteers in their 20s. At the end of the six-month period, researchers discovered not only a 50 percent increase in strength and higher energy in the seniors, but also dramatic changes at the genetic level.
It doesn't take working out five days a week to get these results. The seniors performed one hour of strength training twice a week for six months, completing three sets of 10 repetitions for each muscle group on typical gym equipment. At the start of the study, researchers noted significant differences between older and younger participants in 600 genes. After six months of training, exercise had changed a third of those genes, most of which affected the process of turning nutrients into energy.
So, next time you look in the mirror and ponder the latest anti-aging treatment, remember this: An exercise regimen at any age can improve your strength and appearance, sure - but it also can keep you young and healthy all the way down to a cellular level. Now that's deep cleansing.
