Science Says This Is The Best Exercise To Slow Down Aging

You can't live forever, but there are ways you can slow down the aging process to feel and be younger than you are. One of those ways is by exercising regularly. There is one specific type of exercise that can help you stay biologically younger by about nine years, according to a 2017 study by Brigham Young University, led by Larry A. Tucker, professor of exercise science, and published in Preventative Medicine. The researchers in this study looked at 5,823 adults who took part in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. That survey tracked how much these adults exercised — in 62 different kinds of exercise — for a total of 30 days. 

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey also studied "telomere length values," a marker for biological age. The older you are, the shorter your telomeres. Tucker examined participants' telomere length values and exercise choices, and he found that those who had high physical activity had the longest telomeres. Others with sedentary, low physical activity or moderate physical activity had nearly the same telomere lengths. 

Are you ready to be about nine years younger? According to Tucker, those in the high physical activity level range were essentially nine biological years younger than the others, meaning that the cells of someone who has a high physical activity level are similar to the cells of someone nine years younger than them.

Another study by the Mayo Clinic backs up this claim, adding that high-intensity aerobic exercise can reverse aging. In addition, the Mayo Clinic researchers recommend adding resistance training to improve muscle strength at least twice a week.

So, what is the ideal exercise? If you guessed jogging, give yourself a pat on the back. You'll need to jog for 30 to 40 minutes a day — 30 for women and 40 for men — and you'll need to do it five times a week (via Medical News Today). You can go for a jog outdoors or on a treadmill, whichever you prefer.