3 Ways Exercise Helps You Age Well (And Where to Get Started in Reno)

We already know that exercise can help prevent or manage chronic conditions. But the benefits of exercise go so much further. In fact, regular exercise is one of the best ways to slow down the physical process of aging. Here are three ways exercise helps you age well, plus the best way to get started in Reno.

3 Benefits of Exercise for Healthy Aging

• Exercise builds the immune system. Aging can diminish the body’s immune response, which makes older adults more vulnerable to health conditions like respiratory infections and other disease. But regular exercise has been shown to maintain healthy production of immune cells known as T cells, which supports a healthy immune response.
• Exercise slows the body’s biological clock. Telomeres are a type of endocarp on the end of our chromosomes, and they’re tightly correlated with age. As cells replicate, these telomeres get shorter. Adults, including seniors, who engage in consistent and high-intensity exercise, have been shown to have significantly longer telomeres than those who lead sedentary lifestyles. That means regular physical activity helps reduce mortality and extend lifespan.
• Exercise helps maintain cognitive function. Experts credit exercise as one of the best things you can do to support brain health. That includes improved memory and attention span, but it also means delayed aging in the brain itself. According to the American Academy of Neurology, “researchers found that those reporting low activity levels showed a greater decline over five years compared to those with high activity levels on tests of how fast they could perform simple tasks and how many words they could remember from a list. The difference was equal to that of 10 years of aging.”

Getting Started

While this is all encouraging news, especially for adults who have prioritized fitness for years, it gets better. It’s never too late to reap the benefits! According to authors of a research study called Anti-Aging Through Fitness Enhancement, “Aging is a physiological process that can be influenced for the better (delaying it) or worse (accelerating it). The most recent scientific evidence shows that regularly and appropriately practiced physical exercise, in order to improve physical fitness, is currently the best way to delay or even prevent the consequences of aging. Such exercise always brings benefits, irrespective of the age, sex, health, or the physical condition of the person who undertakes it.”

Ready to begin? Contact the certified personal trainers at Framework Personal Training in Reno, and let’s make a plan to help you enjoy all the benefits of regular exercise. Our team of professionals specializes in senior fitness, and we have the expertise, training and experience to move you safely and effectively toward your personal fitness goals.