Physical Wellbeing To Feel And Appear Younger
While dropping a few extra pounds definitely leaves you looking younger and feeling great, research has revealed that daily exercise targets ageing at cellular level. Telomeres are caps found at the end of chromosomes in our DNA. When our cells divide, the telomeres get shorter and when they get too short, the cell can no longer replicate. This shortening is linked to ageing-related illnesses, including stroke, vascular dementia and osteoporosis.
Studies have revealed that adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting regular exercise could help telomeres regrow. Once study at the University of California San Francisco revealed that moderate exercise for 30-minutes per day and practicing yoga and meditation, together with diet change and social support, improved the length of telomeres over time.
Other ways exercise can help you look younger:
Better Posture
As you age your posture deteriorates due to changes in bone density and muscle loss. A stooped posture is a sign of ageing, but a firm stature can make you look younger. Aerobic exercise and strength training can help prevent bone loss. A strong core provides good support to your spine and keeps joints strong and flexible. Losing muscle strength with ageing can lead to fatigue, weakness and pain in various muscles. Research indicates that physical activity may slow the progression of osteoporosis.
Stress Relief
Stress can have a negative impact on the body and can affect you physically and mentally, leaving you looking fatigued and drained. Exercise can be an effective way to cope with high stress levels. Due to the release of endorphins, exercise can help you feel better and it can also improve sleep patterns, which in turn can ease stress and anxiety.
More Flexibility
Various types of exercise, including cardio and weight training help to improve flexibility of the muscles, joints and ligaments which shorten as we age, causing stiffness in the joints. Regimes like yoga and Pilates work specifically to improve flexibility. Better flexibility can help prevent age-related injuries in the senior years. Aerobic exercise gets your heart working and gets blood flowing to the muscles.
Improved Metabolism
Metabolism slows down with age and this can lead to weight gain. Excess weight can make you look older than your chronological age. Obesity has been linked to lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes and increased risk for stroke. As we age, our muscles lose mass and this can slow down your metabolism. Exercise can stimulate your metabolism and help firm and tone muscles.
Healthy Skin
Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of the body, providing cells with oxygen and nutrients. Sweating during exercise also helps to expel dirt and toxins from the pores.
Improved Mental Prowess
The hippocampus in the brain is the area of learning and memory. Studies have revealed that regular aerobic exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus. This can improve mental sharpness and better mental health into old age.
Resources: Information from www.wellspring.edu; www.waterbottle.healthyhuman.com; www.lifehack.org; www.yourgenome.org; Photo by Nqobile Vundla on Unsplash