Aerobic exercise 'can slow down ageing by 12 years'

London (PTI): Want to slow down ageing? The key lies in regular aerobic exercise.
A team of international researchers has found in their study that maintaining aerobic fitness through middle age as well as into retirement can delay ageing by up to 12 years and help retain the ability to live independently during old age.
Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, improves oxygen consumption, which in turn improves the body's ability to help in converting fat into fuel for muscles.
The volume of oxygen people are able to consume is reduced with age, and therefore to maintain good health and the appearance of youth, more aerobic exercise is required, according to the researchers.
The study, led by University of Toronto scientists, found that high-intensity exercise, taken regularly for more than a year, can make someone as fit as a sedentary person who is 12 years younger.
"There seems good evidence that the conservation of maximal oxygen intake increases the likelihood that a healthy elderly person will retain functional independence," one of the study's author was quoted by the British media as saying.

Courtesy:thehindu.com

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