You are probably aware that exercise has a multitude of benefits, but did you know that exercising throughout your lifetime can slow down ageing?

Researchers at the University of Birmingham and King's College London have found that staying active keeps the body young and healthy.

When comparing men and women between the ages of 55 and 80 who have exercised regularly throughout their lives, with adults in the same age bracket who did not partake in regular exercise, marked differences were identified.

Differences:

• Loss of muscle mass and strength was substantial in the non exercisers, yet minimal in the exercise group.
• The exercise groups cholesterol and body fat did not increase with age as it did in the non exercise group.
• The men in the exercise group maintained health levels of testosterone, while the non exercise groups levels had dropped significantly over time.
• Interestingly the exercise group appeared to have an immune system that had not aged nearly as much as the non-exercise group, with the exercise groups bodies producing as many T-cells (which play a crucial role in the immune response) as healthy young people.

At BeachLife Physio we want to see people exercising throughout their entire lives, to help them live a LONG and HEALTHY life. If pain and injury are barriers to you performing regular exercise, speak to your physiotherapist and they will work with you to formulate a plan, and get you back on the right track!