A new study published in the journal Aging Cells shows that regular exercise is the best choice to fight aging.
In this study, the research team evaluated 84 male cyclists and 465,438+0 female cyclists, aged from 55 to 79. How to define them as cyclists? Men can ride 100 km in 6.5 hours, and women can ride 60 km in 5.5 hours.
The results show that compared with those who don't exercise regularly, these cyclists don't lose their muscle content and strength with age, their body fat and cholesterol levels don't increase, and their immune system is as strong as that of young people.
In addition, male cyclists have higher testosterone levels.
The researchers believe that with the increase of age, regular exercise can obviously promote the aging of the immune system.
The National Institute on Aging divides exercise into four basic types: endurance exercise, strength exercise, balance exercise and flexibility exercise. They suggest that it is not limited to one kind of exercise, and mixed exercise can not only enhance interest, but also reduce injury.
Endurance exercise, also called aerobic exercise, can enhance breathing and heart rate, which is beneficial to the health of heart, lungs and circulatory system. Enhancing endurance can make daily activities easier. Such as walking or jogging, dancing, etc.
Strength training, also called resistance training, can strengthen muscles and make you stronger. For example, lifting weights, using resistance bands and using self-weight (pull-ups).
Balance exercise can prevent falls, and some lower body strength training can also improve balance. For example, standing on one foot, walking on tiptoe, Tai Chi, etc.
Flexible exercise can stretch muscles, help your body to be softer and more agile, and make you more comfortable in daily activities. Such as calf stretching, yoga and so on.
What will happen to the body after exercise?
After the first exercise, you may feel more awake and energetic, because a faster heart rate increases cerebral blood flow and oxygen supply. But there will definitely be delayed muscle soreness the next day, lasting nearly 72 hours.
After 6~8 weeks, the number of mitochondria in people who exercise regularly will increase by 50%, and you will start to feel stronger and have stronger endurance. Running 5 kilometers at a time is no longer as difficult as the first week.
After 6~9 months of exercise, the efforts have finally achieved initial results. If you devote yourself to strength training, muscles begin to take shape; If you devote yourself to aerobic exercise, the maximum oxygen carrying capacity in your body will increase by 25%, which means you can run faster and longer.
After a year of regular exercise, your bone density will increase, thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
If you can persist in exercising for a long time, not only will your life span be extended, but your wallet will also swell. Research shows that elderly people who exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week can save $2,500 (about 654.38+600,000 RMB) in heart health every year. In addition, the risk of arthritis, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and some cancers is also reduced. People's life satisfaction can also be improved, because exercise can reduce the content of stress hormones in the body, thus reducing the risk of anxiety and depression.