1. You fend off muscle loss
In 2010, the Japanese Nakanojo Study of exercise in older people found that walking 7000 to 8000 steps a day helped to preserve muscle mass in a group of 175 people aged 65 to 84.
2. You sleep better
In tests carried out at Chicago’s Northwestern University, a 16-week program of walking, cycling or treadmill training for 40 minutes four times a week, together with tips on sleep hygiene, helped break the sleepless cycle of people aged 55-plus who were suffering from chronic insomnia.
3. Your confidence is boosted
Exercise makes you feel better about yourself, which motivates you to carry on, according to research on older people that was carried out at Stanford University, California.
4. Your bones are stronger
When Finnish researchers put 149 women aged 70 to 78 through an all-round exercise program, combining balance, agility, jumping and weights work, they found their bones became stronger – protecting against osteoporosis.
Link:http://www.rdasia.com/7-ways-exercise-keeps-you-young
5. You are calmer
In 2011, scientists at the University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke, Quebec, found a chemical link between exercise and mood. In a study of men aged 57 to 70, an hour on the treadmill boosted their absorption of tryptophan, an amino acid associated with relaxed mood and found in foods such as turkey, lettuce and milk.
6. You live longer
An active lifestyle after the age of 50 can add four and a half years to your life, according to the Framingham Heart Study, which has been following the health of 5209 residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, since 1948.
7. You keep your brain sharp
A growing body of research suggests that being physically active can help preserve mental function. One 2011 study conducted in Paris found that just half an hour’s brisk walking daily could slow cognitive decline by five to seven years. Physical activity is also linked to lower levels of protein plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
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