Here's another reason to exercise on the reg!
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published research demonstrating that exercise was able to reduce almost all the visible and functional effects of aging in mice that had been genetically programmed to grow old FASTER than normal mice.
Researchers used lab mice whose mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) carried a genetic mutation that affected their ability to repair dysfunctional mitochondria, which overtime, began to malfunction and die.
This mitochondria failure — which the mice developed by 3 months of age or 20 human years — can result in chronic fatigue, neurological disruption, problems with sight and hearing, hair loss and muscle weakness, which are all signs of what WE call "aging".
To test how exercise affects mitochondrial failure, one group of mice went about their days with no exercise. By the time they were eight months old — 60 in comparison to human lifespan — they were in poor health and died before the age of 1.
The other group of mice exercised on a wheel for 45 minutes three times a week for five months after the mitochondrial failure began at three months.
Guess what?
These mice were healthier! They had healthier hearts, dark full hair, greater brain volume and muscle mass and well functioning sexual organs.
This experiment shows that regular exercise can dramatically slow down the effects of aging!
How much more evidence do U need? Get out, stay active, and LIVE!
[Image via AP Images.]
Tags: activity, age, exercise, healthy, jogging, lab mice, research, run, sex, test, wheel, younger
