Looking for the Fountain of Youth? Exercise

May 17th, 2016

  • Exercise makes you look younger. It not only appears to keep skin younger, it may also even reverse skin aging in people who start exercising late in life, according to surprising new research.  Recently, researchers at McMaster University in Ontario began to wonder if sagging skin and loss of collagen were inevitable. They found that after age 40, the men and women who exercised frequently had markedly thinner, healthier stratum corneums and thicker dermis layers in their skin. Their skin was much closer in composition to that of the 20- and 30-year-olds than to that of others of their age, even if they were past age 65.
  • Working out makes you happier. Let’s face it. It has been a long rainy season throughout a majority of the United States.  Want to boost your mood? Exercise. Hundreds of studies link regular exercise to a better mood. In fact, according to the Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, “A review of studies stretching back to 1981 concluded that regular exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression.  It also may play a supporting role in treating severe depression.”
    • Maintaining weight management increases your life span. According to a new study published by McGill University in Montreal in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, excess weight could shave as many as eight years off your life and up to 19 “healthy life-years.” Their study states, “The more an individual weighs and the younger their age, the greater the effect of excess weight on health.”  The team concluded that “overweight people could lose up to three years of life, and obese people up to eight years. Among the very obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher, life expectancy was reduced by as many as eight years. Obese people in their 20’s lost 19 years of living without diabetes or heart disease.”
    • Strong bones = Less risk of osteoporosis. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, physicians’ primary recommendation for strong bone and joint health is daily, weight-bearing exercise. Weight-bearing workouts include walking, jogging, yoga, Tai Chi and weight training or resistance exercise. Activities such as biking and swimming, unfortunately, don’t count in this instance because your weight is supported either by the bike or the water.  Regular, weight-bearing exercise is a signal to the body to deposit minerals in the bones, especially in the hips, spine and legs, where the minerals can be used to fortify the bones. And, you’re never too old to begin a weight-bearing, athletic training or fitness for seniors program to improve your bone and joint health.

    Visit www.FitnessForHealth.org to learn how Fitness for Health can help you create a fun, exercise program to reach your personal goals while focusing on weight management. Whether you prefer an EDGE Athletic Training session or fitness for seniors, we can create a customized exercise program to fit your unique needs.]]>

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