A new study from King’s College London adds more evidence that exercise is a true anti-aging formula.

“A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related diseases and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases, but also because it may influence the aging process itself,” study author Lynn F. Cherkas, of King’s College London, said in a prepared statement.

The study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“The U.S. guidelines recommend that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week can have significant health benefits,” they wrote. “Our results underscore the vital importance of these guidelines.”

In the study, researchers reviewed the physical activity levels, smoking habits and socioeconomic status of 2,401 white twins. In a unique twist, researcherso used DNA samples from participants to examin the length of telomeres-repeated sequences at the end of chromosomes in white blood cells (leukocytes). Leukocyte telomeres shorten over time and may serve as a marker of a person’s biological age.

Source
Archives of Internal Medicine