Slowing down the aging process can now be a walk in the park through exercises, a new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism suggests. Not just any exercises, though, but through high-intensity interval training (HIIT) which does miracles at the cellular level. The well-regulated exercise regime works from within the body's cells to drive changes associated with an aging reversal.
High-intensity interval training is about engaging in intense or tough exercises for a stretch of time or days and then cooling it off with moderate exercises that stretch long. Put another way, the trainer engages in "shorts bursts of intense aerobic activity" and then cap it up with "longer stretch of moderate exercise", the Sacramento Bee wrote. To this extent, researchers say older people benefit more from HIIT than younger ages though it is recommended for all.
Researchers say benefits conferred by HIIT cannot be done by any medicine
The exercise regime benefits the body by driving the cells to produce more proteins needed for cellular functions. The more active cells become, the more aging processes are slowed down with overall health benefits. A diabetes researcher at Mayo Clinic, Sreekumaran Nair, and the leader of the study stated that the wonders generated in the body via HIIT cannot be achieved by any medicine. "Based on everything we know, there's no substitute for these exercise programs when it comes to delaying the aging process," he said.
Three groups of participants were used for the study
Three groups of participants were used for this study. A group comprised of youths between the ages of 18 to 30. The second group comprised of older folks between the ages of 65 to 80. And the third group was a strength training group. All the groups underwent supervised exercise training programs that lasted three months.
A group engaged in high-intensity cycling or pedaling for three days, and then walking briskly on a treadmill for two days. Another group lifted weights for two days within one week, and the third group both lifted weights and cycled furiously for five days on end. The researchers discovered that strength training catered to building body mass and physical strength, but high-intensity training helped the body cells to be more active and functional to reverse aging.
