“Exercise is man’s best medicine.” -Hippocrates, 400 B.C.
That statement was said over 2,000 years ago and still holds true. Exercise helps almost every medical condition and chronic illness. Researchers in England found that those participants in two studies had increased their life expectancy by exercising. In one study, they found that the people who cycled regularly did not lose muscle mass or strength or increase body fat or cholesterol levels as those who did not exercise. This means that the regular exercises reduced their risk of heart disease and sarcopenia (muscle mass loss). The male participants also had testosterone levels that remained high. Testosterone plays an important role in muscle mass production and metabolism.
The second study found that the regular exercises did not have a a reduction in the size of T-cells, commonly a marker of immune system health. Having a stronger immune system as a person ages is very important to fight off even the simplest common cold.
Modern medicine can keep you alive for a long time, the real question is how do you want to spend that time? Highly functioning or without function.
References
1) “A lifetime of exercise slows aging.” (2018). The Journal on Active Aging. Volume 2:17; 20.
