Jogging Adds 9 Years To Life, New Study Says

It is no secret that regular exercise makes a person healthier. However, it seems that only 30 minutes of jogging per day for five days each week could extend a person's life span to at least nine years.

According to NZ Herald, new research showed those who exercise regularly can fight aging by slowing down the aging process of cells. However, the workouts will have to be high intensity to take effect. According to experts at Brigham Young University, those who did intense workouts on a regular basis could add nine and seven years at a cellular level, compared to those who did only moderate exercises.

The study, published on Science Daily, was led by Professor Larry Tucker, included data from 5,823 adults as provided by the CDC. These subjects participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, where biological data about them were recorded. Also in the study is information regarding their lifestyle for 30 days, focusing on physical activity.

However, the length of time doing physical activities vary. For women, they only have to jog up to 30 minutes a day for five days per week. For men, however, they need to work on their exercises for 10 minutes more.

Pulse reported that the individuals with the shortest telomeres (outermost part of human chromosomes seen as "biological clocks") are those who performed the least amount of physical activity. Researchers are still unsure how exercise prevents telomeres from getting shorter. Professor Tucker, however, believed it has something to do with reduced cell inflammation and the stress caused by lack of oxygen in the bloodstream.

Exercise could also possibly stave off other signs of aging such as wrinkles and graying hair. Younger people have stronger cells in the body, which translates to smoother and firmer skin and shinier, fuller hair. Even their energy levels are higher than middle-aged adults.

Professor Tucker explained that age does not necessarily translate similarly to the humans' biological clock. "Just because you're 40, doesn't mean you're 40 years old biologically," he said.