While aging is certain and unstoppable, researchers have discovered a way to delay its effects. A new study says that even just 30 minutes of jogging a day five times a week can extend a person's life by up to nine years.
The research from Brigham Young University led by exercise science professor Larry Tucker revealed that exercise may delay the aging of a person at the cellular level, reported BYU News.
Published in the Preventive Medicine medical journal, the study found that people who are very active and engage in physical activity at a high level have longer telomeres compared to those who lead an inactive and sedentary lifestyle.
Telomeres are the peptides found at the end of chromosomes, which protect the DNA from rubbing and being vulnerable to diseases. However, as a person ages, these telomeres become shorter.
The study discovered that exercises can lengthen the telomeres.
The study also showed that people who engage in intense physical exercises live longer than those who work out moderately, according to The Daily Mail.
In fact, women who work out actively with a high intensity level can add around nine years to their lives as opposed to moderate health buffs, who will most likely add only seven years.
People don't need to worry about spending a lot of time in the gym as the study said that even only 30 minutes a day five times a week is enough to slow down aging for women while men would need to clock in around 40 minutes.
"Just because you're 40, doesn't mean you're 40 years old biologically," said Tucker.
He stressed that physical activity has an effect not just on the internal health of people but in their physical appearance as well.
"We all know people that seem younger than their actual age," said the professor. "The more physically active we are, the less biological aging takes place in our bodies."
