Get Moving, Stay Young

We all know that exercise can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, but a new study shows that exercise can make you biologically younger. 

According to the study in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who exercised moderately were technically four to six years younger than people who didn’t exercise. Heavy exercisers were found to be a full nine years younger. Age was determined by the length of telomeres, a part of cell DNA.

The study was conducted among 2,401 twins. Even among twins with different exercise habits, the results showed a significant reduction in the perceived age of siblings who exercised heavily. 

To read an abstract of the report, visit http://archinte.ama-assn.org/

Source: Parks & Recreation, March 2008, Volume 43, Number 3, p. 21