Do Sedentary Individuals Age Faster than Active Individuals?

Researchers from Kings College in London performed a study that involved over two thousand twins and found that individuals who had a more active lifestyle seemed to be biologically younger than their more sedentary counterparts. Kings College researchers studied DNA pieces known as telomeres and found that telomeres were much shorter in sedentary individuals. Researches believe that shorter telomeres may be linked to faster aging.

The study data seems to substantiate a link between an active lifestyle and biological youthfulness. In fact, the study findings indicate that most active individuals had telomere length that was comparable to the telomere length of inactive individuals who were a decade younger.

What does all this mean? Individuals who are active are less vulnerable to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and study results seem to indicate that active individuals do not age as fast as sedentary individuals. In fact, study results pointed to a quicker aging process for inactive individuals.

King’s College researchers believe that their study proves that adults who exercise regularly are biologically younger than sedentary adults. However, not all physicians are sure of a direct link between a regular exercise and an anti-aging effect. Dr. Jack Gurainik, of the National Institute of Aging, believes that more research will be needed to prove a direct correlation between physical exercise and aging. He went on to suggest that there are other biological factors that may explain the differences found between active and inactive study participants.

All medical professionals seem to agree that regular exercise and healthy diet are important to overall health. Consequently, it does not seem impossible for a direct link to exist between a healthy active lifestyle and biological youthfulness.





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