A Few Recent Studies of Exercise, Fitness, and Risk of Age-Related Disease

Today I'll point out a few recent studies on exercise and age-related disease in human populations. Animal studies show that regular exercise improves health and extends healthspan, the period of life free from age-related conditions. Human studies, which use statistical methods on large sets of population data, tend to show correlations only, but these correlations match what is seen in animal studies. It is not unreasonable to believe based on the evidence that exercise is good for you over the long term, and that maintaining fitness as you age reduces the risk of suffering all of the common age-related diseases - that this is causation, not just correlation. In an age of rapid progress in biotechnology, postponing aspects of the inevitable decline of old age, even for just few years, increases the odds of being around and in good shape to benefit from the rejuvenation therapies that are envisaged, in development, but yet to be realized. In the long run, yes, only progress in medical science can save us from aging to death. As we grow older and ever more damaged, the span of life remaining is increasingly determined by the capabilities of the medical community and how rapidly those capabilities are improving. So in a sense we'll all need to be rescued by that progress - you can't exercise your way to agelessness. But why sabotage yourself and reduce your odds living to benefit from greatly improved medicine when that much of your fate at least is absolutely under you...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs