Study: Middle Age Requires More Exercises For Healthy Aging
The Journal of Applied Physiology has published a recent study report suggesting that middle-aged people who follow a regular exercise routine tend to have a low risk of serious health struggles in the future. Since exercise contributes to the optimal health markers, such a group is more likely to be healthier than the sedentary group of the same age.
Study: Middle Age Requires More Exercises For Healthy Aging
According to the study authors, the difference in such risks is more evident in blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and various ailments, no matter if they are connected to age or not. The study could also find that exercise can help middle-aged people to have better elasticity of their arteries, and better blood pressure regulation to have a greatly reduced risk of heart disease.
The study report suggests that the smooth muscle cells keep the connective tissue layers in the arteries intact and pliable. This allows proper circulation and blood flow. Once these cells start to get declined it can lead to atherosclerosis or the hardened condition of the arteries. This is because the artery walls get gradually stiffer to build up plaque. However, exercise can resolve these issues as it contributes to the increased elasticity of the artery walls.
This particular study was conducted in three groups with 20 volunteers each. In the first group, they included athletes aged between 45-64, and have at least 10 years of experience in aerobic training. The second group was included with athletes under the age of 45 and the final group was made up of 20 middle-aged sedentary people. The first two groups were instructed to follow regular physical activities like swimming, running, and cycling, with moderate to high intensity.
Takashi Tarumi, from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan, and the co-study author stated that the active adults have shown a significant improvement in blood pressure levels and lower arterial stiffness. Tarumi further said that middle age has a higher risk of stroke and dementia as a result of having vascular risk factors. As such, Tartumni says, the study findings have importance in preventing these chronic diseases which have a close link to age.
Even though the study has proved the advantage of early athletic activities, experts stated that it doesn’t imply there is no point for sedentary adults to begin regular workouts. To make it clear, the study authors say even if it is better to start exercises as early as possible, it is never too late to begin it at any age.
As per previous research, arterial stiffness can be resolved with physical activities so that it can normalize hiked blood pressure levels, to reduce cardiovascular risk. At the same time, other research data also suggest regular exercise is effective to improve the levels of blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol while reducing waist circumference.
A study in the International Journal of Obesity gives evidence on the link between physical activity and healthy blood markers stating that this connection is common for people of all age groups. This study’s author Hanna Kaarina Juppi, the faculty of sport and health sciences at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland suggested that the significant increase in physical activity is what people need as they get older, to support healthy aging. While she continued that it is also important to follow physical activities for the early prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
