Sedentary lifestyles are the order of the day and have resulted in an epidemic of lazy and inactive people. Health concerns such as obesity, cancer, diabetes and smoking all accelerate the process. The result is a generation which is ageing faster than previous generations.

Sedentary lifestyles what the research shows

Senior women who sit more than 10 hours a day have cells that are biologically older by eight years, whereas women who are active are younger in appearance. Why is this?

It is a direct result of telomeres are little caps found on the end of our DNA strands; they protect chromosomes from deterioration. Telomeres progressively shorten and fray with age. But, as a result of health and lifestyle changes it significantly accelerates the ageing process. Shortened telomeres are a precursor to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and major cancers.

Studies prove that cells age faster with a sedentary lifestyle, sadly our real age no longer matches our biological age. (Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine.)

What was the outcome?

The amount of shortening added up to about eight years of ageing. Most noteworthy is that physical activity counteracts the shortening that occurs with ageing. You can reverse damage already incurred, and it’s never too late to start. Your body can recover from the damage already inflicted on it for decades. It stands to reason though that the younger and healthier you are, the quicker your body will likely respond.

What is the solution?

Exercise for at least 150 minutes a week to improve accelerated ageing. Reduce the amount of time spent sitting down, in front of a computer, watching TV or while traveling and consciously increase physical activity. In conclusion, invest in a pedometer which will monitor and track your movement on a daily basis and alert you when you are not meeting your goals. A healthy lifestyle requires balance in both diet and lifestyle for optimal health.