Hippocrates once sound out that exercise is man ’s salutary practice of medicine and he was not faulty . If you need another excuse to hit up the gym , have sex that a lifetime of even exercise importantly reduces the effects of age on the immune system , muscle mass , and cholesterol .
A paper published in the journalAging Cellmeasured extremely fighting masses age between 55 and 79 on a cooking stove of fitness criteria . While it was previously assumed that aging make the body to become frail irrespective of how many gymnasium hour you put in , the results suggest this is not the case . In fact , the combat-ready seniors were capable to wield the body fat , cholesterol story , and immune system of rules of a untried soul . In men , regular exercise was also find to keep testosterone level high and possibly facilitate sidestep themale menopause .
" We hope these findings preclude the risk that , as a society , we accept that previous age and disease are normal bedfellow and that the third years of serviceman is something to be endure and not enjoyed , " Niharika Arora Duggal , from the University of Birmingham , order in astatement .
All the active seniors involved in the subject were amateur cyclists : the 84 men who take part had to be able-bodied to cycle 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) in 6.5 hours or less and the 41 women 60 kilometers ( 37 Roman mile ) in under 5.5 hour . Their data point were compare to those of 75 healthy adults get on 57 - 80 and 55 hefty adult aged 20 - 36 , none of whom exercised regularly . smoking compartment , heavy toper , and people with high blood pressure and health conditions were straight off excluded from the sketch so as not to confuse the results .
Most excitingly , perhaps , is the effect of exercise on immunity . It comes down to the thymus , an organ responsible for producing a type of immune cell called the tetraiodothyronine cell . Scientists expect the thymus to start shrink and thus bring about fewer tonne prison cell from the age of 20 . Yet , the cyclists maintained the same T - electric cell count as the youngsters , suggesting even exercise forestall the immune system from aging .
" Their bodies have been set aside to age optimally , free from the problem usually cause by inaction . Remove the natural action and their health would belike deteriorate , " explain Stephen Harridge , Director of the Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences at King ’s College London .
The team hopes this research could turn out to be a answer to " the problem that we are living longer but not healthy ” , a uncheerful world confirmed ina reportlast twelvemonth that revealed the await bit of healthy years is not keeping up with improvement in life expectancy .
NHS Englandrecommends doing 150 minute of aerobic recitation a calendar week . Study author Norman Lazarus ' advice : " Find an recitation that you revel in whatever environment that suit you and make a habit of physical activity . You will reap the rewards in later aliveness by enjoying an independent and rich old eld . "
