Exercise Reduces Aging

[James Marusek 5,244]

If feeling older than you look appeals to you, take a seat while you read this: A recent study found that women who sit longer than 10 hours a day, combined with low physical activity, have cells that are biologically older — eight years older to be exact — than their actual age.

The study looked at the lifestyles of 1,500 women, between the ages of 64 and 90, who are part of a Women's Health Inititative (WHI) — a national study on chronic disease and postmenopausal women. Researchers found that women who sat for more than ten hours per day, and exercised less than 40 minutes daily, had shorter telomeres — the caps at the ends of DNA strands which protect chromosomes. Shorter telomeres have been associated with increased risk for disease and poor survival, which is why low activity combined with prolonged sitting can contribute to cell aging. The picture was not as bad for women who incorporated at least 30 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity, even if they spent most of their day sitting at a desk.

http://acsh.org/news/2017/01/20/tips-age-fast-sit-more-exercise-less-10753

Well let me inject a few words about this discussion. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms. Essentially they are the blueprints of life. Within the DNA are nucleotide composed of one of four nitrogen-containing nucleobases—either cytosine ©, guanine (G), adenine (A), or thymine (T)—and a sugar called deoxyribose and a phosphate group. The order of building blocks in a strand of DNA makes up a "sequence." We can read a DNA sequence like letters in a book. In fact, we know the sequence of the entire human genome—all 3 billion letters. This DNA structure defines each individual, the color of our hair and eyes and skin etc. Most of the DNA is core and very important. But at the end of the DNA strand is DNA that seems to provide no purpose, it is called Junk DNA. But in reality Junk DNA (telomeres) do serve an important function. The reason is that when the DNA replicates, it loses a little of the strand of junk DNA at its ends. Eventually as we age, this junk DNA gets shorter and shorter and eventually it eats into the core DNA. When it does, it introduces anomalies, age related sicknesses. So this article is saying that exercise can reduce the loss of the junk DNA and we can live long healthier lives as a result.