As much as we might want to, we can’t stop ourselves from aging. We can, however, take the sting out of getting older and age WELL if we make staying physically active a priority. Research consistently shows that regular exercise improves cognitive function, improves sleep, reduces the risk of chronic disease, boosts immunity, and slows the aging process. A bonus benefit – the more active you are, the more independent you will be.
Cognitive Benefits
Regular physical activity not only improves your mood and memory but has also been associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. In addition, research indicates that moderate to intense exercise may slow aging by 10 years. By improving blood flow and reducing inflammation, exercise is a powerful way to stay healthy and active well into “old age”.
Better Sleep Quality
Sleep is arguably one of the most important, and yet often overlooked, aspects of health. While you are sleeping, your body is busy healing and repairing itself from the mental, physical, and emotional stress of the day. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body isn’t able to repair itself adequately resulting in several unfavorable consequences, of which diminished quality of life is just one. Regular physical activity not only improves sleep quality but has been shown to reduce sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep) and shows promise in managing sleep disorders like insomnia.
Immunity Boost
Regular physical activity has been shown to improve your immune system by increasing the circulation of immune cells in your bloodstream. This means that your body is better able to prepare for future infection by detecting it earlier, ultimately making you more resistant to infection. As mentioned earlier, exercise reduces inflammation, which prevents your immune response from getting out of control and causing chronic inflammation throughout your body. Research suggests that people who engage in consistent physical activity experience fewer colds and recover more quickly from illness, making exercise a great way to support resilience.
Slows the Aging Process
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to slow the aging process because it works at the cellular level to combat age-related decline by improving mitochondrial function, reducing inflammation, and supporting DNA repair mechanisms.
Physical activity helps preserve telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, by slowing their degradation and improving cellular health.
Strength training helps counteract age-related muscle loss and osteoporosis, both of which are key contributors to frailty and impaired mobility as we age.
Cardiovascular exercise keeps the heart strong, improves circulation, and helps maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.
Physical activity helps regulate hormones like growth hormone, testosterone, and estrogen, which naturally decline with age.
Aging might be inevitable, but HOW we age is entirely up to us. Regular physical activity is one of the most powerful tools we can use to age well. It's time to make age just a number.
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