Crossfit, here we come: Why working up a sweat is VITAL to looking younger

We aren't happy about it, but... new research shows that those who engage in high levels of exercise will have a nine year aging advantage.

It's not all bad news—exercise also leaves us energised and beaming... that is when you've gotten over the initial 'I'm going to pass out' phase. The study was carried out in Brigham Young University in Utah, where researchers looked at the cellular data of nearly 6000 people between the age of 20 and 84. Some fit senior citizens there, ey? Those who engaged in regular high physical training had 'younger cells' or a biological aging advantage of seven years, compared with those who engaged in moderate exercise, as well as a nine year advantage compared to those who were sedentary. A little part ouf our cells called telomeres have a correlation with ageing and this is what researchers were interested in. They found telomeres to be longer in those that were highly active, while the analysis showed that there was no significant difference in telomere length for participants who didn't exercise or for those that moderately exercised. For women high activity constituted 30 minutes of jogging per day, 5 days a week, while men did the same but for 40 minutes. According to the university's website, Professor Larry Tucker, who conducted the study said,

"If you want to see a real difference in slowing your biological aging, it appears that a little exercise won’t cut it. You have to work out regularly at high levels."

Although it's not exactly known how these youth-permitting telomeres are preserved by exercise, Professor Tucker believes it could be linked to benefits such as reduced inflammation and lower oxidative stress which we achieve from exercising. All those lotions and potions surely play a part too, but it seems if we want to feel young and BE young at a cellular level, we'll be needing to get our running shoes on every damn day... well just about.