We all know that exercise is good for you. I have written about its many benefits on here before. Exercise is a great way to lose weight, keep your heart strong, treat depression and help with overall health. But did you know that exercise is its own version of the fountain of youth?
The New York Times recently published an article that says just that. A doctor in Canada conducted a study on rats that were genetically engineered to age faster than normal. When the rats exercised, the doctor noticed that exercise halted premature graying of the rats’ fur. In addition to younger looking fur, the rats also showed no signs of aging. The rats that exercised fared much better than their non-exercising counterparts. The rats that did not exercise sat listlessly in their cages, became frail and died young.
Now those are rats, what does that have to do with us? Rats have been used in many studies to test the affects of drugs and other things, and those findings usually translate to humans.
So what type of exercise is important to follow? The rats used both aerobic and strenuous exercises, but the doctor believes that either one would work to see the youthful results.
What does this mean to us? Exercise. Plain and simple. It is a clear answer for many of your bodily problems. If you want a stronger heart: exercise. If you want to lose weight: eat well and exercise. If you want to fight off depression: you guess it, exercise.
If you are used to being like the rats in the study that sat around, it is time to shape up. One of the easiest ways is to get a gym pass. While your health insurance might not cover a gym pass, many big companies will help pay for the pass because they want their employees to be healthy.I know that some gyms make you feel like you are a minnow in a shark tank with their sales tactics, but there is a gym for every type of exerciser. Some gyms tend to be more social, some offer great classes, others are women only. Your local rec center will be focused more on a family experience. Whatever type of gym experience you want, there is a gym out there for you.
Not willing to fork over monthly gym pass? Let outside be your gym. Put on some tennis shoes and go for a walk or a run. Many local schools have outdoor tennis and basketball courts that are available for the community to use. With your gym right outside, you have no excuse.
One of the easiest ways to not succeed is to not have a plan. Create goals for yourself and work towards them (like run a mile in x minutes by x). It gives you a sense and a purpose to your exercising. It also works as a great motivational tool to push yourself to the next level.
For your own fountain of youth, take a cue from the rats and exercise.