Want to Stay Young? Become a Gym Rat
As reported recently in the New York Times, research using mice which were genetically programmed to age more quickly found that 45 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week resulted in healthy mice with a full, dark pelt of fur, healthy hearts, brains, and muscles. They also had excellent balance.
The mice were genetically programmed to reach the human equivalent of about 60 years old in only 8 months. By the time they reached 8 months, all of the non-exercising mice had weak muscles, shrunken brains, enlarged hearts, shriveled gonads and patchy, graying fur. All of them were dead by the time they were one year old.
Even though the mice had a genetic defect that reduced their ability to repair mitochondria, all of the exercising mice were able to repair their own mitochondria. Scientists believe the loss of healthy mitochondria is an important cause of aging in mammals.
How has exercise helped you to stay young? Tell me in the comments.
