Moving your body is important, your life depends on it. Research evidence has emerged demonstrating that in addition to reducing the risk of chronic disease, moderate to vigorous exercise may also slow the aging process at the DNA level. Everyone knows that exercise is good for you! It helps manage weight improve muscle and bone health and life, enhance your spirit and add years to your life. Movement and exercise can also be effective with prevention of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Exercise enhances your mood and provides a way of giving your body a bigger boost and overall well-being too! People who exercise have better immune systems and less inflammation.
Did you know that the way to staying youthful and healthy is not your heart, lungs, or your brain- it is your muscles? Why? Exercise is the key to keeping mitochondria healthy! Muscles contain 95% of the mitochondria in the body. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cells and the fat burners. Recent research states that mitochondrial function is the true key to unlock the mystery of aging. And, it is the decrease in the number and the health of our mitochondria that determines how aging affects health. A new strain of research has found a link between two theories on aging suggesting that mitochondria communicate with our cells’ telomeres telling them whether they should shorten and hasten aging or not to help slow down or halt the aging process.
Telomeres are the tips or caps at the ends of our chromosomes and are sequences of non-coding DNA. Telomeres play a critical role in human health. Recent research states that mitochondrial function is the true key to unlock the mystery of aging. And, it is the decrease in the number and the health of mitochondria that determines how aging affects health. A new strain of research has found a link between two theories on aging suggesting that mitochondria communicate with our cells’ telomeres telling them whether they should shorten and hasten aging or not to help slow down or halt the aging process.
Shorter telomeres are linked to hypertension cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, type two diabetes, osteoporosis, oxidative stress and obesity. Lower levels of physical activity contribute to these conditions, and maintenance of telomere length may be one link between exercise, disease prevention and longevity. One minute of exercise adds 7 minutes of life!