Exercising – The Most Effective Way to Fight the Aging Process

All of us would like to delay the effects of aging. Scientists have found that the best thing to do this might be to do some exercises. The studies performed on mice showed that the mice that have endurance exercises aged more slowly than other mice, even though they were genetically programmed to age faster.

Mice

The mice seemed to have a more youthful appearance than normal mice after they had exercises on the treadmill for months in a row. Besides this, the exercises prevented the aging of all the vital organs. This means that exercise not only prevents premature death, but it also slows down the aging process.

Importance of the Study

The researchers found that the mice that had exercises didn’t have gray fur, muscle and brain atrophy, hair loss and other indicators of old age. The researchers have been surprised by the state of the spleen, liver, and gonads. Exercises have a systemic effect and it is also able to prevent brain shrinkage.

Mitochondria

The mice that the researchers were working with were meant to age more quickly because they all had mitochondria. This causes the cells to generate less energy for the organs to run on. The mice were divided into an exercise and a non-exercise group. Those in the exercise group had to run on the treadmill for 45 minutes three times a week.

Results

After five months the researchers have found that the exercise group shows less signs of aging. These mice looked youthful and active, while the mice in the non-exercise group were inactive, less fertile, socially isolated, and balding. The muscle tissue of the active mice was normal while the muscle tissue of the non-exercise mice was damaged.

Surprises

The biggest surprise has been seen in case of the exercise mice. They had damaged mitochondria to start with, but at the end of the study, their mitochondria seemed to be normal and healthy. Researchers believed for a long time that a sedentary lifestyle results in mitochondrial DNA mutations, which leads to a decline of organ and tissue function, leading to aging.

Humans

The specialists claim that the results of the study can be applied to humans as well. This might be an incentive for people to start having some exercises and to have a healthier lifestyle. If people see that some of the mice are very active while others are barely moving, this might determine them to get up from the couch.