In a culture obsessed with youth, many of us look to supplements, fad diets and jars of anti-wrinkle cream to keep us feeling young. But is there another way for us to stave off the effects of aging? Proving turning back the clock isn't just about fine lines, racking up the miles with some leisurely jogs also promises some serious anti-ageing effects too.
More effective than weight training
Running is one form of exercise with many benefits, like strengthening muscles, boosting your mood, and making your body physically stronger. Now we can add slowing down the aging process to the list as well. A study by researchers from Germany’s Leipzig University assessed how different types of exercise affected the ageing of human cells. The study compared continuous running, high-intensity interval training, and resistance training and discovered that although running reversed signs of cellular aging, weight training didn’t.
124 healthy participants participated in the six-month research and were instructed to complete three 45-minute workouts of endurance training, HIIT or resistance training per week. At the beginning and end of the study, the length and activity of telomeres (stretches of DNA at the end of chromosomes that affect how humans age) in white blood cells were analyzed. An increase in both was found for participants who took part in the endurance and HIIT training. As these are both important for cellular aging, the more we can slow down this process, the more anti-aging benefits we’ll see.
Slows the effects of aging
It’s never too late to start running, and you don't have to sprint to reap the benefits. Just a 30-minute daily jog can reap major benefits
As one of the best age-preventers, it can significantly reduce a person's risk of death
from heart disease compared to someone who doesn’t run. Research also suggests that elderly runners have fewer disabilities, enjoy an active life for longer and are less likely to die younger.
Takes years off your crucial tissues
According to Australian research, every six miles per week you run a year can be taken off the age of your spinal marrow tissue. It may seem like an obscure anti-aging fact, but what the study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research highlights is still essential. As we age, the mainly ‘red’ blood cells our bone marrow produces change into a ‘yellow’ fatty marrow. This hurts our blood and bone metabolism, causing chronic illnesses like diabetes and osteoporosis.
The secret to keeping skin young
Running’s anti-ageing appeal isn’t just about what’s on the inside either, it may be able to reverse the tell-tale signs of age on the skin. Researchers at McMaster University suggest that people can slow down the speed at which they age by exercising regularly. The study found that people over 40 who exercised periodically have healthier skin, resembling the more supple, elastic skin of people in their 20s and 30s. Exercise prevents the skin’s dermis from thinning and the skin’s barrier from thickening, so the skin looks years younger at a microscopic level.
