A new study investigates how exercise can help rejuvenate aging muscles.
- Doctors call physical exercise a “polypill” because it can prevent and treat many of the chronic diseases that are associated with aging.
- A new study of muscle fibers from mice and humans shows how exercise affects gene expression.
- The exercise-induced changes “reprogram” the epigenetic expression of the fibers to a more youthful state.
Research shows that people who exercise regularly not only strengthen their muscles but also improve their overall health, regardless of how late in life they start.
For example, recent studies have found that exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, in older people.
Conversely, reductions in muscle mass and strength are associated with lower quality of life and higher mortality from all causes.
As a result of its proven ability to prevent and treat several chronic diseases at low cost, doctors have called exercise a drug-free “polypill” that can benefit nearly everyone.
“Exercise is the most powerful drug we have,” says Dr. Kevin Murach, assistant professor at the Exercise Science Research Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.
He believes that exercise should be considered a health-enhancing, potentially life-extending treatment, alongside medications and a healthy diet.
Scientists hope that a better understanding of how exercise rejuvenates aged muscle at a molecular level will provide clues for future anti-aging therapies.
“For individuals over 70, I highly recommend low-impact, full-body workouts with a focus on lower body and core,”
“Resistance training is not only suitable but highly recommended for those in their 70s and beyond,” he said.
“The key is starting slow and progressing slowly with consistency,”
“Walking is an activity that I recommend, along with resistance and mobility training,”
I recommend strength training at least two days a week and mobility training, including stretching, every day.
I teach “Fit For Life Classes” three days per week at the Suncoast YMCA, Clearwater, FL.