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Exercise may slow ageing process

This news item was added on 30th January 2008

Researchers have found that a sedentary lifestyle may lead a person to be biologically older than they would otherwise have been if they had exercised regularly.

Scientists at King's College London carried out a study involving twins and discovered that those who were physically active during their free time were biologically younger than less active twins.

Active twins' telomeres - pieces of DNA that shorten as we age - were longer than inactive people's, indicating that they were ageing more slowly.

The study involved more than 2,400 twins and the findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The researchers wrote: "Our results show that adults who partake in regular physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals.

"This conclusion provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potential anti-ageing effect of regular exercise."

Exercise is also known to reduce the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.