Skip the Creams and Hit the Gym for Younger Cells

Do you know how old your body is? If you gave your chronological age as the answer, your cells likely have a different number. For many people, chronological age doesn’t match the biological age of their cells. And for people who exercise, it turns out that the age of cells may actually be younger than expected. Scientists have adopted a new way of determining cell age by looking at the length of telomeres, end caps that protect chromosomes. Longer telomeres seem to indicate longevity, while shorter telomeres mean that the cells are aging. Around middle age, telomeres can begin to shorten significantly, but new studies have found that exercise, especially certain types of exercise, may help to keep telomeres longer. By extension, scientists believe that longer telomeres indicate longevity—and improved health. While you still can’t live forever, no matter how much you work out, you may be able to preserve a more youthful body into old age. Read more…​