A study of the University of California-San Diego published on January 18, 2017 discovered that the cells of older women with minimal physically sedentary, and who sit daily for more than 10 hours, biologically age eight years faster compared to their contemporaries who lead an active lifestyle. According to the study, elderly women who engage in less than 40 minutes of daily physical activity also have shorter telomeres. These are tiny caps located at the ends of our DNA strand that prevent the deterioration of chromosomes. Telomeres, similar to plastic tips of a shoe lace, naturally deteriorate as the human body ages.
The study was carried out by enlisting 1,500 women, aged 64 to 95, as participants. They were asked to fill out questionnaires regarding their daily physical activities and lifestyle habits. Each of the women were given an accelerometer to be worn on their right hip for a week. Through this device, experts were able to monitor their movements round the clock.
In a statement published in Science Daily, Dr. Aladdin Shadyab, the study's lead proponent, said that they discovered that cells age faster with sedentary lifestyle. He also added that chronological age doesn't always match biological age. He also added that older women who sat longer maintained their telomere length upon engaging in exercise for at least 30 minutes, which according to Dr. Shadyab, is the national recommended guideline.
Furthermore, he also advised that people should start discussing the benefits of exercise at a young age. He believes that upon doing so, people will inculcate an active lifestyle as their mundane routine regardless of age. Above all, he said that their team of experts will continue to conduct further studies that examine the behavior of telomere among men and younger populations.
The results of Dr. Shayab's study was supported by another study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information . This study claimed that post-menopausal women with sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of obtaining all-cause mortality factors. Furthermore, the sedentary lifestyle of older women can lead to Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and even Cancer.
According to iTech Post, exercise does not only benefit older people in terms of fitness. Studies show that moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise can also prevent neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease. All around the world, there are about 44 million people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease.
