People may use moisturizers and eye creams as anti-aging methods. One potential anti-aging option is physical activity. Exercise can help fight aging by allowing your body to better adapt to the aging process or make changes at the cellular level.
Aging is a normal process in life, and as an individual ages, both their bodies and minds change. Still, there are times when people want to slow down the aging process when possible. Learn more about how physical activity slows down the rate at which people age.
The Anti-Aging Effect of Exercise
Exercise is known to contribute to healthy aging because it can help people reduce their risk of chronic diseases. Physical activity also has an anti-aging effect on body parts and processes, such as:
- Brain: Increased neuronal formation and decreased cognitive changes
- Cardiovascular system: lowers blood pressure and improves heart function
- Metabolism: Better metabolism
- Muscles: Increase muscle building with benefits such as better strength, balance, and joint flexibility
- Respiratory: Improves breathing and lung ventilation
Why Exercise May Have Anti-Aging Effects
Physical activity can have an anti-aging effect because of the body’s response to exercise and the physical changes at the cellular level.
Exercise and Aging Stress Are Similar
In a 2022 article, researchers proposed that stressing the body through physical activity could prevent aging and age-related health conditions.
That’s because the response to exercise stress — such as elevated cortisol levels and inflammation — is much like what happens to the body as we age. As a result, a person’s body may adapt to the stress of exercise and be better prepared to cope with the physiological stresses that come with aging.
The researchers also hypothesize that the more strenuous the exercise, the more likely it is that potential anti-aging protection will appear. They also point out that the possible protective effect requires regular exercise over time, rather than only in later life.
Body Changes Occur Within the Cells
In a study in the European Heart Journal, researchers noticed two important changes in the cells of runners and those who did high-intensity interval training (HIIT): telomere lengthening and telomerase increase.
Study author Ulrich Laufs, M.D., University of Leipzig, Germany, said in a statement that these effects are “important for cellular aging, regenerative capacity, and healthy aging.”
Telomeres naturally shrink over time. When they do, the cells die instead of continuing to divide. Cell death plays a role in:
- Formation of wrinkles
- Growth of gray hair
- Risk of age-related health problems such as heart disease, cognitive decline, and even early death
The researchers hypothesize that these types of exercise affect nitric oxide levels in the blood. Nitric oxide increases blood flow. Thus, it may have affected cellular changes in both groups of participants.
Strength Training and Anti-Aging Workouts
Research in The European Heart Journal has found that aerobic exercise is beneficial for the anti-aging effects of exercise. Compared to weightlifting, endurance exercise (such as running, swimming, or cycling) and HIIT slow down signs of aging, at least at the cellular level.
However, according to an accompanying editorial published alongside the European Heart Journal study, this study does not necessarily imply that one exercise or another is better for physical health.
Benefits of Strength Training
In other words, you don’t need to give up strength training. Especially for older adults, strength training helps improve mobility and prolong the time a person stays healthy.
Strength training is essential for the treatment of osteoporosis, a condition in which bone strength, mineral density, and quality decrease. As people age, the risk of developing osteoporosis increases – although age is not the only risk factor for this condition.
This type of training has been shown to increase bone mineral density. Additionally, strength training alongside balance and weight-bearing exercises can help prevent fractures from falls.
This type of workout also works wonders for muscle aging and health. Strength training can provide the following benefits:
- Muscle mass maintenance
- Muscle strength and power
- Muscle cell adaptation to resistance training
Strength Training and Physical Activity Guides
In addition, the European Heart Journal study results are in good agreement with common exercise recommendations.
“Our data support the European Society of Cardiology’s current guideline recommendation that resistance exercise should be a complement to endurance training, not a substitute,” Christian Werner, MD, of Saarland University in Germany, a co-author of the study, said in a statement.
The same goes for the recently updated exercise guide for Americans. Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, and at least two muscle-strengthening activities per week.
Whatever exercise you decide to do, talk to your healthcare provider. They can provide more information about the type and amount of physical activity that may be right for you.
Conclusion
Studies have shown that physical activity can play an anti-aging role. These effects can occur in different body systems, such as the respiratory system or the cellular system. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing cardio or strength training: you can reap the potential anti-aging benefits with any of them.
