why active people live longer
and age better.
One theory is that running reduces the mutations in our body’s mitochondria. That is to say, working-out helps the human body to better replicate its own cells.
Now the theory has been proven.
The Benefit of Running…
Athletes Proven to Have Fewer Mutations in Their Mitochondria
A recent article in Outside Magazine explains how genetics may not play as significant a role in our longevity as previously thought. Once again, the research indicates that it is our lifestyle choices that will determine how long we live and the quality of our years after age 50. Apparently, under the right conditions, you can stay young by running!
a lifelong endurance regimen may help your body look and perform younger than its age. “Three times a week—not a lot of exercise—caused a complete reversal or arrest of all the symptoms of aging,
Digestion is Hard Work
Writer Justin Nyberg also points to the mounting evidence that lower-calorie intake extends life span.
This has always made sense to me. Digesting food is significant effort for the human body. I’ve always wondered if giving the body a rest from digesting frees up its energies to work on healing in other parts of the body. My hunch is that the less healthy food we eat (such as much of the food found currently in the Standard American Diet), the more effort it requires of our bodies.
People who are physically active for 30 or more hours a week — such as professional athletes or construction workers — need to fuel their bodies to match the intensity of their typical day. But for many of us, our lifestyles are much more sedentary than our ancestors’ lifestyles. Therefore, many of us require less calories.
So it seems that running, coupled with a low-calorie diet, can have a significant impact on the way we age. Are you an avid runner? Have you thought about taking-up a running regimen? Please share your thoughts below!
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Running, ‘eh? I ran five miles a day about 25 years ago and I’ve never felt better. Might be time to take it up again.
I think your hunch about the American Diet and longer food digestion is on the money. I have been taking iron (which is best to do on an empty stomach) so was researching the digesting time of different foods. I noticed that meat can take several hours to digest where as fruits, vegetables, and some grains take less than an hour. If you eat meat for every meal your body is working around the waking (and sometimes sleeping) clock to process the stuff.