Keep up the cardio. Stay young.

A recent study has demonstrated that cardiovascular exercise actually makes stem cells in the body act younger.

Researchers at Stanford University have recently identified a molecular pathway involved in turning back the clock on cells. 

“Exercise is known to reduce the risk of a wide variety of age-related problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and perhaps even Alzheimer’s disease,” Rando said. “There’s a lot of interest in understanding how exercise confers these health benefits.”

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The study's major goal was to see how voluntary exercise influences the function of muscle stem cells in mice.

They gave mice approximately 20 months old, the equivalent of 60-70 years old in humans, and mice 3 to 4 months old, the equivalent of 20- to 30-year-old humans, access to an exercise wheel and permitted them to run at will.

Young mice traveled approximately 10 kilometers per night, while older mice traveled approximately 5 kilometers. To serve as controls, two other groups of young and old mice were given wheels that did not rotate.

They discovered that, as expected, older sedentary mice were considerably less capable of repairing muscle damage than younger sedentary mice.

However, older animals that had routinely exercised were substantially better at healing muscle damage than their non-exercising counterparts. This benefit of exercise was not demonstrated in the younger animals.

When muscle stem cells from older mice that had exercised were transplanted into younger animals, similar results were achieved.

The exercised animals' stem cells contributed more to the healing process than their sedentary counterparts.

The Takeaway

💥💥 Stay young. Cardio 5x/week for 30-45 min keeps your mojo rockin! 💥💥

References

Conger, K.. (2020). Exercise restores youthful properties to muscle stem cells of old mice. Stanford Medicine.

I needed this article today! I typically exercise 5x/week, but the last two months have been tough to maintain that pace. Part of it life, part of it lack of motivation. This article was very helpful in reminding me why exercise is important and reengaging my investment into taking care of my body and mind. As time continues to march on, I may get older in number, but I don't need to get older in body!

*note to self* Cardio. 5x/week. 30-45 minutes for longevity. Pair this with the information I just got from your article on eating better and it looks like I'll be off to better health in no time.

I love my cardio.  I always feel refreshed after a good ol’ sweaty workout.  Especially the sweaty part. The sweat helps flush out all the toxins in your body, and I’ve read that it also helps your body build immunity.  Good to confirm that it helps to keep you youthful too.😃

Impacting cells in a positive way!! Don't stop moving!

  Growing up as a runner, I can attest to the health benefits. I always felt great and don't doubt the long-term benefits of cardio on the aging process. Few people want to get old, but staying active seems to be a viable way to slow down the process and make it more pleasant. 

Wowww I had no idea! Haha, I mean I know that every time ANY health topic comes up, the answer is always: water, sleep, nutrition, and exercise. But really, this is pretty awesome – makes sense as well.

I've lost quite a bit of weight in recent months. And one of the only reasons that were successful was to increase my physical activity, work with a trainer/joining a gym, and eating healthy. One cannot work without the other. There are so many "lose weight fast" programs out there, a lot of which say you can lose weight without exercising. That's simply not true. Whether or not you're trying to lose weight, stay young, whatever...our bodies need that movement to help us live longer, healthier lives.

Another reason to start exercising! You live longer, look younger and your body acts younger! Now to just find the motivation because I’m So lazy 😂 I guess I just need to pencil it into my schedule and stick to it!