If you’re looking for enduring youth (and who isn’t?) you may just want to concentrate on endurance exercises.
While studying mice, researchers in Canada found that endurance exercise protected them against premature aging. The mice were even genetically engineered to age faster than normal.
The mice that ran on a treadmill three times a week for five months looked as young as the mice that were not genetically engineered. However, those mice that didn’t exercise exhibited similar aging traits as human males – they were graying, balding, and became less fertile.
Principal investigator Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said that previous researchers tried to use exercise drugs on mice and other techniques to slow the again process, but to no avail.
“Many people falsely believe that the benefits of exercise will be found in a pill,” says Tarnopolsky. “We have clearly shown that there is no substitute for the ‘real thing’ of exercise when it comes to protection from aging.”
While endurance exercise is most often associated with marathons and triathlons, there are other ways reap its benefits. You can jump rope, ride your bike, or even take long walks. The result is healthier lung function, heart, and now apparently, it’s the fountain of youth.
(via: U.S. News)
For more on endurance exercises, check out:
What to Eat Before Endurance Races