As we prepare for Thanksgiving (and in my case, the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot!) there is some good news on exercise and aging. We know that lifelong regular exercise can reverse many of the effects of aging – at least in “elite” or professional lifelong athletes. But what about “regular people” who commit to a lifestyle of regular activity? Can their bodies become “younger” too?
A recent study (link to full study here) tried to answer this question – by studying the 
bodies (specifically, muscle tissue) of older individuals who had remained active though regular leisurely activities. The main findings, according to this article in the New York Times summarizing the study:
“The muscles of the older exercisers resembled those of the young people, with as many capillaries and enzymes as theirs, and far more than in the muscles of the sedentary elderly.
The active elderly group did have lower aerobic capacities than the young people, but their capacities were about 40 percent higher than those of their inactive peers.
In fact, when the researchers compared the active older people’s aerobic capacities to those of established data about “normal” capacities at different ages, they calculated that the aged, active group had the cardiovascular health of people 30 years younger than themselves.”
What does this mean?
- Committing to an active lifestyle can slow, or even eliminate” many of the changes in our muscles that we consider “normal aging”
- Even though our overall exercise capacity does diminish over age, these changes are slowed significantly in those who remain active, compared to less active older individuals.
- In the words of one of the researchers, “exercise could help us to build a reserve of good health now that might enable us to slow or evade physical frailty later”
So this is more evidence for all of us to stay active – here is our overview of physical activity and its benefits on heart health, and here are more articles on exercise:
Exercise News: Delay Dementia, and Never Too Late to Start!
Is Running Risky? Lets check the science. . . .
Can 1 Minute of Exercise Possibly be Useful?
What is the “right dose” of exercise for a long and healthy life?
reduced the risk of heart disease by 6%. This reduction is mild, and was actually insignificant, but there was a significant decrease specifically patients who started out with high triglyceride levels (> 150 mg/dL) or LDL cholesterol (> 130 mg/dL). When the researchers included additional nonrandomized studies, the reduction in heart disease was 18%. Another important conclusion was that there does not appear to be any harmful effect of supplementation.
Most of us are familiar with high-salt foods on our diet – but for those of us who have high blood pressure, or are just trying to minimize sodium intake to maintain a healthy lifestyle (which is certainly advocated by the HeartHealth Doctors) – our best intentions can be undone by hidden sources or sodium, especially in processed foods from the grocery store, as well as fast-food and restaurant-prepared items. 
The Heart Health Doctors 