I live an active lifestyle as a runner, yoga and spin instructor–but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, I couldn’t run more than a mile without heaving and gasping until I was about 25. The fact was, I didn’t need to. (Or so I thought). I was fortunate enough to be born with a metabolism that allowed me to be pretty unhealthy, both in my lifestyle, and diet choices. Though I’m sure that my health was impacted by this in a variety of ways, it wasn’t evident in my physical appearance. And let’s be honest. Isn’t the desire to be a certain weight, or have a certain body type the reason alot of us workout?
Though working out can certainly help you manage weight and (if you work hard enough) change your body, it does a lot more beyond what the eye can detect. Science has long told us that working out regularly can help manage stress and even reverse some incidents of diabetes and heart issues, and other age-related maladies like osteopenia, cholesterol and high blood pressure. (Of course, a healthy diet in tandem with your activity levels makes a difference, too). But new research conducted by Tinna Traustadóttir published this month in Age, the Journal of the American Aging Association shows that when you start working out in your life makes a big impact on the efficacy of your exercise routine and how long you feel youthful as you age. In fact, in participants ages 18 to 25, just one workout (which involved 45 minutes of vigorous biking) improved their response to oxidative stress, which can in turn, lower the risk for many chronic diseases. In contrast, study participants who were 50 and older didn’t have the same response.
The message? Though it’s never too late to get moving–it’s never too early, especially if you’re concerned with how you’ll age, and how you’ll feel as the years go by.
