Aging and the benefits of exercise

Exercising as you age can be challenging. Sometimes it can feel like your body is breaking down. One possible reason for this could be senescent cells, which build up in your body as you get older and contribute to age-related disorders. A recent study by Mayo Clinic shows that exercise and other physical activities can reduce the number of senescent cells.

There is no magic pill to reverse the aging process. But if you want to counter the biological mechanisms that drive age-related conditions, like the accumulation of senescent cells, you will need to exercise.

“Just being more active throughout your day appears to be sufficient to reduce kind of the burden of senescence cells in an individual,” says Dr. Nathan LeBrasseur, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic.

— MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK