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Anti Aging: Supplements and Exercise Can Add Nine Years To Your Life
If you aren’t exercising regularly because you can’t seem to crank up enough motivation, or you aren’t even convinced of its importance, you need to know that researchers have discovered why exercise helps keep us young, not just that it keeps us young.
The results of a recent study shows that regular exercise actually makes your DNA younger and stronger by lengthening your telomeres -- the protective ends of your chromosomes that shorten as you age.
In fact, on average, people who exercised vigorously at least three hours a week had longer telomeres and were physically nine years younger than couch potatoes who didn’t exercise.
Shortened telomeres increase the risk of age-related diseases like high blood pressure, mental problems, cancer and diabetes because, as telomeres shorten, there is more stress on your body as it tries to function normally. Exercise reduces the damage caused by free radicals, allowing your body to maintain the health of your DNA instead of having to repair damage to your organs further down the line.
Ancient Chinese Martial Art is a Perfect Anti-aging Exercise
For those who can’t run, jog, work out or play sports, the ancient Chinese martial art called ‘tai chi chuan’ (usually shortened to just ‘tai chi’ and pronounced ‘tie chee’) is a widely-available, easy-to-do and terrifically effective alternative.
Even the Mayo Clinic and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health recommend tai chi for improved stress reduction, balance and agility.
If you can stand up and walk, you can accomplish all the physicality required for tai chi -- and for countless millions of aging Chinese, many in their 80s and 90s, tai chi is the sole exercise activity.
Even if you already indulge in intensive sports, you might find that the discipline of tai chi is an amazingly productive anti-aging experience. Its gentle flowing movement reduces stress and improves health, promoting strength, agility, flexibility and endurance. Tai chi also helps replace negative emotions like chronic upsets, anger, fear and depression with an overall serenity and calm.
Since there’s scarcely a community anywhere in the country that doesn’t have tai chi classes somewhere in town, don’t hesitate to find one and try it out. Also, many tai chi classes offered at community centers are free. And if you live in an assisted living facility or retirement community, look into hiring a tai chi instructor for to come in and give regular classes.
Anti-aging Supplements Are an Important Health Ingredient
A sensible anti-aging program includes:
• Eating five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day
• Replacing most red meat with white fish and chicken
• Getting at least three hours of exercise a week
• Controlling weight
• Not smoking
And any exercise program, especially as we get older, should be supported by the right <a href="http://www.feelgoodforlife.com/health/anti-aging/">anti-aging</a> supplements, especially a basic multi-vitamin and mineral complex, and good joint health support that contains glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. Both types of supplements promote the vital rebuilding processes associated with exercise.
