‘Successful aging’ - hmm love that term. So if you’ve done all the ‘right’ things like exercise every day, eat properly, get plenty of sleep, don’t drink, don’t smoke etc, but you get hit by a bus or get cancer and die at 72, is that considered ‘unsuccessful aging’? Conversely, if you never exercise, eat fatty foods, drink alcohol etc and live to 99 (as one of my aunts did), is that considered ‘successful aging’?
1
@JBC
Please try to find some joy in your life. It’s there if you look for it!
1
One huge factor needs to be looked at along with exercise is what did each group eat? The article mentions nitric oxide. Did they control for diet. The SAD or standard American diet is not packed with foods which promote nitric oxide. Few people eat enough leafy green vegetables like kale, arugula, mustard greens, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, bok choy etc. Dr. C. Esselstyn recommends these to be eaten 7 times a day to help reverse and prevent heart disease. Why? Because when chewed along with some vinegar, they release nitric oxide which repairs and keeps the endothelial lining of the arteries intact and help prevent build up of dangerous plaque.
1
Well, here's my take on this. I agree totally with the basics of the article, in that the benefits of aerobic exercise (weight control, endurance, circulation just to mention three) will keep you healthier longer. But for us older folks (I'm 68), we cannot ignore sarcopenia (gradual muscle loss after age 40) and resistance (weight) training MUST be an integral part of any exercise routine. So the schedule I'm on now is Mon, Wed Fri: strength. Tues, Thur, Sat: elliptical machine. I also speedwalk two miles every morning, after 20 minutes of isometrics, isotonics, and old-fashioned calisthenics including 100 pushups a day.
I urge everyone who cares about themselves and their loved ones to get fit and stay that way.
1
Well, here's my take on this. I agree totally with the basics of the article, in that the benefits of aerobic exercise (weight control, endurance, circulation just to mention three) will keep you healthier longer. But for us older folks (I'm 68), we cannot ignore sarcopenia (gradual muscle loss after age 40) and resistance (weight) training MUST be an integral part of any exercise routine. So the schedule I'm on now is Mon, Wed Fri: strength. Tues, Thur, Sat: elliptical machine. I also speedwalk two miles every morning, after 20 minutes of isometrics, isotonics, and old-fashioned calisthenics including 100 pushups a day.
I urge everyone who cares about themselves and their loved ones to get fit and stay that way.
1
@Retired Fed
Weights are must especially as we age. I agree that a combination of weight training and aerobics are best all the while trying to avoid injury and overly sore muscles.
I combine weight training and HIIT or tabata style workouts. There are numerous Youtube workouts that combine weight training and HIIT or tabata, provide all the timing and are well paced.
Bottom line here imo, what history has taught us is that moderate exercise is a no brainer re feeling better and longer life (as long as you don't pig out on wine/women(men) and song.)
When you get into aerobics or weight training, you are putting in much more effort, time and/or money usually.
They can be useful in certain situations but the side effects notably injuries come into play especially with running.
I was into running when I was younger and despite precautions was running into all sort of nagging leg, knee, foot injuries. A doctor told me to stop running and take up some moderate exercise. I thank her to this day I am(now 72) in good health and free of nagging injuries.
1
What exercise did you replace running with
as a young man i ran competitively for c 10 years (best 10k 31 minutes;) now, forty years later with numerous health issues, i don't have the stamina, knees and grit to do more than walk.
is "45 minutes walking" x 3 days/week truly beneficial? i'm curious how that level of activity compares to more serious training. for example, if i were to race 5k now, i would expect to finish c 25 minutes. yet i note that the winner of my 60-64 category in this year's new haven race finished in 18 minutes. i have to think his telomeres are quite different from mine.
1
After reading the article, it would seem that swimming would be the ideal exercise regimen. Use of a rowing machine would also be a good regimen.
As someone who lifts weights and bikes on alternate days I have no issue believe that the higher intensity of aerobics as some advantages. But other studies have shown the weights can help increase bone density. So some combinations still sounds best.
6
Interval training with “four minutes” of high intensity exercise followed by four minutes at a rest intensity is unrealistic for most non-athletes. Please remember that shorter bursts of high intensity, even 10-60 seconds can be quite effective in improving overall fitness and weight control. Move it or lose it! Cheers.
1
I’m getting older and I can live without running, biking and swimming but not yoga.
2
some of the the oldest people in the world live in Asia - more specifically in peaceful fishing villages where they consume fish three times daily.
Through the generations, their genes seem to protect them as well.
2
Since my mid thirties I have been running away from exercise. Now I see it's time to pick up exercise and run with it.
Let me just get a couple of celebrations and birthdays out the way first. Then there's Christmas I suppose. So let's say mid January. That sounds about right. O hang on a minute....
5
aerobic (jogging) vs anaerobic (weight lifting, sprints)
hmm - long-distance marathon type races tend to be won by slim East Africans with slow-twitch muscles
sprints tend to be won by larger muscled West Africans with fast-twitch muscles
having jogged from 15yo in boarding school (the only way we were allowed off school grounds weekdays - I did the 3.5-mile loop around the golf course) until my knee injury fall at 50yo - I was bemused at a health expo to blow into a lung capacity test display and be told by the 2 young attendants 'wow - you've got the most lung capacity of anyone we've tested' - me:'you're joking' - them:'no we're not' - I said 'if so I presume that's from my daily 3.5 mile jogging from high school.
being slim I've avoided much weight lifting but now retired my daily before-breakfast exercise includes 11 push-ups
my GP last checkup admiringly said 'you're very healthy' and my cardiologist last annual checkup said my cardiac arteries were all perfectly clear and he doesn't need to see me for 'let's say - 18 months'
so - my daily 7 minutes exercise (and avoiding junk food - 'we can swallow in seconds more calories than we can work off in hours of exercise') - keeps me happy, healthy and content !
7
To quote George Burns: “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!”
RIP
January 20, 1896 - March 9, 1996
20
Everything is better when one is aerobically fit, even a bad cold or the flu! Only the first two weeks of aerobic exercise really stink. After that, it gets more and more fun!
16
I'm convinced that aerobic exercise is the fountain of youth.
I started running when I was 47 (I'm 59 now). My pace has slowed and I haven't checked my pulse in the last 18 months, but when I would previously be on a treadmill, my heart rate would routinely be around 80-90% of max. I never felt out of breath, although my muscles would start to fatigue at about mile 5-ish. I used to try to look for information whether this elevated heart rate was dangerous for me, but couldn't find any definitive information. My blood pressure and resting heart rate are low. So I guess it's fine.
2
That a person typically feels better when they are in an aerobic exercise program is not an illusion. That should be a good enough reason to do it. And ignore Billy Crystal's famous dictum: "It is better to look good than to feel good !"
4
I believe that this article still lack of research and evidences. We all know that exercise is beneficial in so many ways. Whether is running or interval training or weight training, the positive effect of each of the above exercise is good for the mind and body.
As long as a person has motivation to excise, he or she is alreading heading in the right direction.
I exercise regularly for the last 40 years and the benefits are immeasurable. Keep moving.
6
If you're not getting your heart rate up while doing strength training, then you're doing it wrong. You don't need to do "crossfit", but I was always taught by my university level classes that one should wait no more than 60 seconds between weight lifting sets. Ideally less. The point was to keep up ones heart rate from exercise to exercise.
I'd like to see this study done with strength training done properly.
3
I haven’t been in college for a while… but I do not think that this description of telomeres shortening and fraying in individual cells is correct.
Iirc, they shorted as the cell lines age, as replications are repeated.
1
Interesting, because the folks who ran the study, currently are in the research/university setting. But sure, your memories from long ago college should surely supersede their analysis of telomere lengthening….
1
The time would seem ripe for an update on this study.
"jogging and interval training can make our cells biologically younger, according to a noteworthy new experiment. Weight training may not have the same effect"
Resistance training has its own benefits, though. Weights and aerobics are not mutually exclusive; the same human can do both.
10
Shocking. Fit people who exercise live longer healthier lives than couch potatoes. Who knew!
8
But how much of that longer life is SPENT exercising, obsessing, possibly sprains and fractures. BALANCE between exercise and ‘enjoyment’ is key. I see so many people stressed out over having ‘not been able to workout’. PRIORITY: sleep, activity, diet.
2
Ride a bike, it’s enjoyable exercise.
I can't object to the findings, but there should be note of caution to the elderly: your fitness is a result of lifelong activity. I'm 81 and have been an active participant in athletics for a long time, since I was seven. Baseball doesn't involve much aerobic activity, but walking two miles back and forth to the baseball field does. At 10, I started competing as a tennis player, which involved a longer walk to the courts and back, and then playing for hours. Basketball involves a lot of running - sort of like intervals. Played tennis throughout college, then played golf - walking and carrying a bag, for about a decade before getting into running: ran 12 marathons (completing 8) and broke 5 minutes for the mile at age 42. Trained an average of 70 miles/week for years. Went back to golf, walked and carried a bag into my early 70s, walked every day I wasn't playing. Now I play out of a cart, not because I can't walk and push a cart, but I want to be able to dial emergency if I'm having a heart issue.
More to the point, I can take a week off and come back without experiencing any decline in fitness.
6
What is with ancients and referencing how far they walked as children? Newsflash: walking two miles doesn’t qualify as exercise under even the most generous interpretation of the term.
1
I strongly disagree! Walking is great exercise and all those extra miles add up!
20
There are actually a lot of studies showing walking to be better for you than running. It’s a common habit of people that live a long time
7
No matter the whether of the day, no matter how we feel, we go for our run and though the run may be difficult by the time we are done we feel great and the feeling lasts. We are 80 and over, feeling fit, and work productively and intend to continue.
Running we think has been essential.
17
Check out the superb book Younger Next Year--originally for men, but there's one for women too. Co-written by a very, very fit retired lawyer and his Park Ave. internist, it explains how heavy exercise literally rejuvenates the cells on a molecular level.
4
Wait, based upon a recent NYT article, I thought I only needed to exercise for 10 minutes, or maybe it was 5 minutes, or 3 minutes.
In any event, I remember the study lasted about week or two, with maybe a dozen volunteers, so it must have been right.
10
I always have had difficulty scheduling exercise. Don't love it.
But now I have a 2 year old dog, and have to walk rapidly at least 45 minutes a day. Usually 2x a day. I think she is helping me stay fit. She is fun anyway.
22
Still others claim exercise is tied to inflammation and can lead to nuerodegenerative disorders like ALS. Perhaps not to be worried about by most but for people with a genetic predisposition it is something for serious consideration.
1
Who ever would have thought a high-functioning cardiovascular system would result in longer, healthier lives?
12
Testimonials are fine, but anecdotal. Many will enjoy exercise as they do it, what they do or experience as they do it and perhaps even the body's appearance over time as it appears often more trim and toned. All this is to the good.
At least as important should be the body's physiologic response. Aerobic exercise stimulates new growth or healing of structures and increases neurotransmitters, neural growth factors and improves cognition, especially in the young. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2680508/
Whether DNA methylation of Chromosones is reversed by exercise may be under contention of thought, but the potential for such a line of research to suggest life prolongation is not fully proven yet. Exercise may well make our genetic material even function as if it were younger and more resilient to damage. Such findings cannot be totally ignored, even if they remain a bit hypothetical.
4
The New York Times needs to do analysis of all these studies, a meta study as it were, and publish conclusions of the meta study. Far to many of these weekly studies, one suspects clickbait, directly contradict each other. And please get trained scientists to do that.
8
I suspect the key molecular marker points to the opposite result.
Any increase in production of white blood cells (WBC’s) should appear as shorter telomeres since you’re sampling a population of younger cells. And there’s lots of evidence that the truly long-lived do so because they continue to have WBC stem cells, while people dying of old age expire when their stem cell population is tiny and they can no longer mount an immune response. There are strong associations and causal links between lifelong inflammation and immune system exhaustion. The continuous and pervasive inflammation of atherosclerosis exhausts the immune system so keeping cardiovascular fitness can avoid that (and of course also avoid heart attacks, stroke, and pulmonary embolisms).
So I believe the lesson for people is to reduce all forms of inflammation including exercise-induced repair. Sure, combat atherosclerosis with some exercise, a strict diet, and statins as needed, but avoid stress!
For scientists I think a Nobel prize in Medicine and the gratitude of all humanity awaits the woman who figures out how to measure specific stem cell populations non-invasively!
1
I wish someone would do a study about yoga. I've been a practitioner for 30 years and think I'm pretty fit, but I guess it's not aerobic.
4
@Chris Yoga will certainly make you fit, but it is unlikely your yoga practice is getting your heart rate up high enough and long enough to be considered aerobic activity. Aerobic activity (aka cardio) keeps your heart/cardiac muscle fit and that is one box yoga generally does not check.
1
1. Lower level cardio almost every day (HR 180 minus my age.)
2. HIIT session once a week (walk uphill as fast as I can for 1 minute, then walk back slowly, 10 times. Or equivalent on a rower or bike.)
3. Weights 2 or 3 times a week
4. Yoga every day
5. Eat sensibly only when I'm actually hungry and all natural, hardly anything processed.
I'm 71, have a METS score of 13.5, and feel like I did in my 40's. Nothing age related or medical issues. Now if I can only get rid of the wrinkles. Life can be great at this age if health and energy are good. They increase the quality of time.
11
I focus on cardio vascular endurance, stretching and balance.
Run up the steepest hills you can find, as fast as you can, daily.
I enjoy passing people a third my age on long uphills, with a smile and a greeting as they gasp for air.
They don't like being schooled by an old man so they try very hard to keep up until they realize they cannot.
5
I'm 76, either hike for an hour or swim 1/2 hour everyday. I weigh what I weighed at Yale. Apparently some people still wonder about the benefits of exercise. Nevertheless, in contemplating mortality, one must realize that death usually comes without warning.
6
Exercised harder before pandemic,when I could safely go to a gym. Now have exercise bike, walk a lot which combine with pilates or yoga. Occasionally some weights. I know I could do better with a gym routine. I did aerobics for forty years, lifted weights for thirty, and while occasionally have had injuries, physical therapy does the trick and I recover easily. I don’t push like I used to, however grateful for what I have. I’m 76 and looking forward to getting back to a gym soon. Sweat equity does the trick.
5
Jogging, walking or running at a low heart rate are all considered “aerobic” activities. Literally, “in the presence of oxygen.” Interval training is generally “anaerobic” meaning hard efforts with little oxygen available. Hence the literal definition of anaerobic: “no oxygen.” The author doesn’t distinguish this fact. Interval training or intensive running is not aerobic exercise. It makes me wonder about the actual language of the study and whether the combination of anaerobic and aerobic exercise netted better results, or just the aerobic exercise as the author indicates?
combine the two with a good stretching program and you have a good life style approach.
7
Cycle briskly in a hilly area, anaerobic on the way up, aerobic on the way down.
1
HBOT is hyped as increasing Telomere length by 20%. More effective or less effective than jogging or interval training?
I’m all for both weight training and aerobic training; that’s why I joined Orangetheory, a gym program that swings back and forth between the two for an hour while awarding participants (age/gender adjusted) points for upping your heart rate. As anyone who has done this can tell you, it’s much easier to rack up points on a treadmill than with weights, resistance bands and push-ups. For the few months I did only the treadmill while nursing an injured shoulder, I routinely had the highest or one of the highest point totals of the session. With my shoulder mended, I returned to the weight segments and my point total dropped back into the high middle of the pack.
1
We talk about doing exercise daily to stay young and age well, but what about how we are this moment? I don't know about you but I hike, run, do yoga and walk to feel good. When I was younger I exercised for vanity reasons, now at 61 I continue to exercise because it makes me feel good emotionally and mentally and of course physically. I make better food choices when my body has been exercised and I am much more content. Stay Well everyone....
17
As an epidemiologist, I'd like to point out a couple of things. First, there's no evidence of a dose-response between amounts of aerobic exercise and either health or years lived. That is to say, amount of exercise and health are not related in a straightforward way, apart from the well known fact that sedentary people (who do next to no exercise of any kind) are more likely to develop chronic diseases and die prematurely. So sitting a lot or lying about are definitely bad but that's not at all the same thing as saying exercise is good. No clear dose-response -- doing more gets more results -- is taken as a pretty good sign that there isn't a causal relationship between exercise and health/life expectancy. Second, measurable micro effects like mitochondrial activity or telomere lengths are only sometimes - and not reliably - associated with whole organism outcomes like health and life expectancy. A person can get sick and die with some very fine cellular function. In short, the study really doesn't mean much. In general, people feel better and have better function if they exercise more but they may or may not be healthier in consequence in the sense of avoiding chronic disease or premature death. To the extent that exercise helps avoid getting fat (and that extent is quite limited), it does help avoid type-two diabetes & fatty liver thus all the problems associated with those outcomes. In a nutshell, exercise, especially aerobic exercise, is over hyped.
4
Oh, that’s just GREAT! After years of hearing that aerobic exercise like jogging and biking puts me at risk for joint problems, and strength training is the neglected key to successful aging, now THIS! Oy vey.
6
@JH Nobody (reputable) ever told you that biking was bad for your joints. Plenty of former hard-core runners take up biking PRECISELY because it is easier on their over-stressed joints.
Just "jogging" isn't likely to damage your joints, either, absent some predisposition on your part do joint problems.
5
I’ve been a big advocate of cardio training supplemented by weight training and yoga, for decades. I’m so concerned with what I observe around me - a generally fat, inactive population that wants to eat and drink whatever and fall back in quick fix diets and exercise routines that don’t stick. There’s no trick to being healthy other than discipline and consistency. And peanut M&Ms occasionally.
10
My father would occasionally embark on a Peanut M&M diet, swearing by it and sticking to it with a grin.
1
Actually I will give a disclaimer. As one's heart rate goes up so does one's potential risk of heart failure! A known scientific fact. This is a potential risk at any age. Thus, as We age , do not start doing aerobics based on this article. Seek a full medical ,specifically on heart-lung health etc. Get some adequate advice on how to proceed on aerobic or anaerobic (running.cycling Tennis, Weights etc) activity. We all are different and have different capacities in exercising.
Be smart, be safe ,if your new to training or trying to up your game proceed with caution.
7
Aerobic running alone will not keep your muscles strong in leg. rinningv needs to be supplemented with weight training
3
I’ve always been curious about my Italian grandpa’s longevity and that of his many siblings, all living exactly till 96. They lived in a hill town that required walking. I walked there recently from where the train let out. The ‘exercise’ they did was a normal part of life; they ate simply—some of the food was picked wild or hunted; drank a moderate amount of crude red wine; had a fatalistic view of life—not worrying about things as such;and smoked. My grandpa died when he willed himself to do so, not seeing the point of continuing. As his doctor reported ‘nothing was wrong with him.’ No gyms, no regimes, no special diets, just living a healthy, basic life surrounded by friends and family and walking uphill…
12
According to all these reports and comments, President Trump should be dead.
Why isn't he? Is it his Fast Food habits, slow golf exercise while cheating, orating in front of crowds, telling lies as a way of life, need for appreciation, hiding his tax returns, goal of being re-elected, fear of sharing his tax returns after he is out of office or...?
Another enigma of the American lifestyle!
24
Dance like no one's watching! for 6 hours a week
7
Go into any gym, look at the guys who have been only weight lifting for the past 30 years.
Then look at the guys who have been running for the past 30 years.
The weight lifters all look and feel twice as old...
5
@kenzo Maybe they age from certain "ROID" usage throughout the life while lifting? I see that here, If you go to Muscle Beach you can see the 'stars of weightlifting', and just the fake tans alone, make them look twice their ages! That said, have you ever seen a smiling and happy runner? Maybe when they see the finish line, but usually they are so intent on the jog that they have squished and miserable faces, And after a decade or so need Knee replacements!
I've been a RACE WALKER for 25 years, People say I look 20 years younger. I took up Race walking in my 40's I was a sedentary, as they come except for my work. Once I started Race (by Race I mean Fast-walking, it turned my life around... You can do it anywhere. no need for gyms, sometimes I will carry 3lb. 'heavy hands' my arms have no flab...Important to keep your arms above your heart and swing your arms forward as you walk! You can smile talk to people, pet a dog and enjoy the day just by picking up the pace when you walk!
3
Yesterday, at the gym, someone asked me "How old are you?". "Sixty Nine" I replied. "You look like a young man" he said. My reply: "I started working out when I was thirteen."
17
If mean pulse rate was the deciding factor in weight training's lack of effectiveness, it would seem like simply adding an aerobic component to the weight training would make it as effective as either the jogging or the high intensity.
Less time between sets would be be the simplest way to keep the heart rate up but there are numerous other ways to do this.
6
@Robert That's exactly what I was thinking. Does your heart really know the difference between jogging and a weight circuit that keeps your heart rate up? I hope they look deeper at this. Good point Robert!
3
As I approach 97 I can confirm this article. I exercise daily for one hour and always use a heart rate monitor, I have been race walking , swimming ,spinning and rowing starting at age 55. While physical changes will not permit certain activities I can always find something that I can do to exercise between 80 to 85 percent of my predicted Maximum HR. I am an obligatory exerciser and will continue as long as possible.
47
The conclusions of this study simply reiterate what was demonstrated 50 years ago by Kenneth Cooper's work with the Air Force embodied in the book Aerobics. I am continually amazed by the fact that this work has generally been ignored for the past 50 years while various proponents of weight-lifting, walking, stretching, yoga etc etc blather away. I do not doubt for an instant the therapeutic or psychological benefits of such activities, but if they do not elevate your heart rate they are side shows in the health department. Simple aerobic exercise to elevate your heart rate for 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week, is the key. Not (necessarily) training for a marathon or even a 5K. It's so simple, and its proven. Like many Cooper disciples, I graduated from his formula to doing marathons, but I never bought the bogus argument that marathoning was materially more healthful than 25 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
17
@highway, Kenneth Cooper’s work and his book may be accurate, but they are not sexy. That’s why nobody talks about him anymore. He’s not Gwyneth Paltrow enough.
11
Work out more to extend my life in this horrific world in which we live? I think not.
8
I discovered some years ago that walking 5 miles three times a week not only improved physical condition, but also improved mental outlook (walked outside for years but now I set my kitchen timer to 45 minutes and keep moving through the hallways of my home. The world has many bright spots.
18
Life is what you make of it.
8
@JBC Instead look at it as living the life you have more healthfully, without a lot of the common ailments that the sedentary elderly are afflicted with. There's a huge difference between living your life sickly as opposed to healthfully.
6
This article makes a giant leap in logic that has not been proven or studied enough for potential association - the leap is that premature aging (and possibly early onset of disease or aging or death) is associated with telomere length. The author even states that the researchers are speculating. Add that to the use of a single cell line and this type of "research" is a very very long way from any meaningful conclusions. The only salient point in the article is that people need to exercise - which can encompass many modalities.
3
@Jim zin actual fact, UCSF professor, Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology for her research linking excercise and telemere length. If interested, you can look up her work on PubMed.
10
The study is flawed because some weight training can raise the heart rate just as much as intervals. I lift dumbells from the floor to shoulder height as part of resistance training and when I get to 14 reps my heart rate goes way up past 140 as verified by a heart rate monitor.
So if you don't take into account lifting that gets the heart rate up as much as any aerobic excersize because it involves the whole body then you are missing something-maybe this is still not as good as intervals for some reason but that reason cannot be heart rate, because some wieghts can increase the heart rate handily
4
@Eric King Not for an extended time.
2
@Eric King
as soon as the reps are done, the heart rate declines rapidly. aerobic exercise needs to be maintained at a target rate for much longer than can be accomplished in the manner you suggest.
2
Maybe because you are in terrible aerobic condition?
1
This is such a limited sample. And they compared two kinds of exercise. And we don’t know what the implications are for zero exercise prior to the intervention v. long term engagement in exercise. Some weight training is way more endurance oriented than running. So I think they really missed an important category of high intensity weightlifting. I hate that the NYTs posts this as though there is any new finding here. It’s just keeps people confused and it’s poor journalism.
7
I’m a 65 year old woman and I’m a big believer in just getting out there and doing whatever kind of movement you can - I swim for 30 min., do HIIT on my recumbent cycle for 30 min., hike hills for 45 min. and do resistance exercise (plank pushups, squats with weight, core exercises) twice weekly and sometimes, when my life gets complicated, I take a week off. But I always want to get back to it. I don’t know what my telomeres think, but I do my best.
29
@GEH
This article has made me wonder about my telomeres. Like you I work out, weights, walking, HIIT, yard work (lots of yard work), housework, etc.
I've been increasing my weight training sessions to 3 times a week, they are either HIIT or tabata style weight training workouts. I also have started hanging on a bar.
I do my best and hope it's enough.
Wonder if the touchstone for health is white blood cells’ telomer length and telomerase activity. Then finding that activities that make blood flow better seem to be healthier. A peek into the muscle cells, the weight training cohorts target would be called for.
1
Logical advice. With that said, I often wonder with so many folks now advised to take a 3 med cocktail to drive down their blood pressure, therefore slowing down ones heart rate, if runninG or walking becomes a chore as in exhausting. Older folks are prone to falling.
When you lower your blood pressure the response of the body is to increase the heart rate to keep blood flow the same.
1
Because high blood pressure can kill you?
2
It’s a great article for all of us. I’m 77 yrs old foggy with 30 marathons including 6 boston marathons in barefoot in the last ten yrs. I’m still running almost daily, a slow long distance. 2019 Boston marathon will be my 7th consecutive bf running. IMHO, learnt how to listen to your body and not running beyond the threshold(60-65% of heart rate). Ultimately, it depends upon the function of “mitochondria.” What and how to eat daily is more important than running, like intermittent fasting.
13
I never once doubted the benefits of exercises or aerobic exercises.
What statistics is lacking — how many people do not exercise due to injuries and pain, or other “circumstances”, despite acknowledging the benefits?
I am guessing: a lot of people.
There is merit in confirming the benefits of aerobic exercises. Such studies remind us and convince us at an intellectual level.
I personally want to see more studies with
— how do we advance our medicine so people don’t experience pain when trying to exercise?
*If we have been that good at it, why the opioid crisis? Didn’t the lady with opioid addiction, in the NTY article, began the addiction with a knee pain?
— how the society can build the infrastructure to promote aerobic exercises?
*If I cannot jog for ten minutes without the risk of getting killed by a car, if I cannot swim unless paying $35 a month to be on the “welfare rate” of YMCA, if my home doesn’t have the sound isolation to let me jump while watching YouTube’s BeFit channel videos...
I want more solutions on making exercising painless and an integral part of the day.
24
@Susan Walk! Park Walks, City Walks, Country Walks.
3
I like to read articles like this back from 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 years ago to see how well their findings have held up. They don't hold up well at all. Studies like this are just not reliable. They make complex things too simple. They are too reductionist.
So why do people push research results like this? Grant money to conduct research is hard to come by. Get articles like this in the popular press and you'll get more grant money. And who can prove you wrong?
And the New York Times gets read and attracts clicks. Everybody wins. Except the losers who believe what they read.
14
@John Smithson
some one who reads and incorporates current recommendations into their live style is not a loser.
They are using the current evidence presented by scientists who study the subject.
Science will always challenge the 'truth' of the current state of affairs and when the evidence does not hold up recommendations will change or be modified.
For example a scientist would those references you mention from years ago (I did not see any in your comment) and use them as the basis for further studies.
It is intellectual curiosity that may benefit us all
8
You really should do both.
Aerobic training is critical for heart help and weight control.
Lifting is critical to maintain muscle mass, prevent injury and reduce injury if you are a competitive age group athlete.
Lifting alone and/or building a bunch of muscle mass is unlikely to help for general fitness and based on this study does not help longevity.
16
BREAKING NEWS: eating healthy food and using your body in a way that reflects human evolution is GOOD for you. Empirical research is obviously critical (and always nuanced) but come on people, it’s a simple evidence based formula: eat as healthy as you can and work your body however and as much as you can. This advice is free the first time :)
26
The research article refers to weight training and used this protocol: "Resistance training was a circle training of eight machine-based exercises: back extension, crunch, pull-down, seated row, seated leg curl, seated leg extension, seated chest press, and lying leg press. Twenty repetition maximum (RM) was determined every 6 weeks and training weights were adjusted." Well, of course this wouldn't have "aerobic" benefits! it's way too easy. It doesn't even describe sets and reps. I'm 56yo, 5'10", 185#, and I've been lifting for 10yrs. It's easy to get your heart rate up if you work your big muscles with a total body workout and do 5 sets of 5 heavy reps --- deadlifts, squats, push presses, and weighted chin ups are good ones to start with. When I finish my 30 minutes of lifting, I'm exhausted and sweating. This research didn't condemn weight lifting; it condemned non-challenging machine exercises.
13
yes, this study makes it seem like all strength training is the same. getting on a series of circuit machines is not what i would call true strength training. exercise programming is too complicated to summarize in such an article.
4
@Scott Moore Deadlifts. Squats. How likely do you think it would be that these (barbell) movements would be advisable for unsupervised test subjects? Not many can consistently perform these movements safely with study and coaching! Whether or not the prescribed machine regimen rose to an aerobic level would depend upon several factors. The beginning physical condition of the subject and the pace/intensity of the performance would be two. Your point of criticism of the study is well-taken though. Without a quantitative contemporaneous measurement of BPM, the researchers are essentially guessing at the aerobic level occasioned by the machine-based resistance training. As others have said, the published findings are likely oriented to the quest for further funding. Such is the contemporary research industry.
1
@Scott Moore Deadlifts. Squats. How likely do you think it would be that these (barbell) movements would be advisable for unsupervised test subjects? Not many can consistently perform these movements safely with study and coaching! Whether or not the prescribed machine regimen rose to an aerobic level would depend upon several factors.
It does say that "Researchers monitored people’s heart rates during their workouts,...." Thus it would appear that the researchers knew real-time if the subject achieved aerobic level. My is that they dynamically adjusted the individual's RT program to ensure aerobic activity throughout the six months. The study otherwise would make no sense.
Lift weights faster!
For instance, slowly and carefully work up to a set of 5 heavy deadlifts, then do a faster lighter round alternating 20 deadlifts with 5K on the bike. These light and fast rounds are great cardio but also provide more chances to work on ones' form. Outside of the gym, we need to move intuitively and these fast repetitions help.
It doesn't have to be either/or.
4
All of the comments suffer from a bias toward those who have survived. They ignore those who die young due to bad luck or other reasons.
I’m not seeing many comments from people who extensively worked out aerobically but died from bad luck like cancer.
My 96 year old mother lives on, having never exercised in her entire life. Yet here I am, dying in my 60s from cancer, having exercised most days in my adult life until I got sick.
Exercise is no panacea. Getting good genes from both parents is a better bet.
103
@Bitterman I'm 76, I Will just keep exercising until you tell me how to get better genes from my parents.
12
@Bitterman Not to make light of your cancer, but I'm sure your mother exercised a lot as a housewife and mother in her day.
4
@Bitterman
Regarding getting good genes from both parents as a better bet.....I'll get to work on that one...
1
Based on two recent articles in the NY Times we should do weight training to decrease our risk of cardiovascular disease and aerobic train to have young cells with longer telomeres to repair our DNA.
11
Unequivocally yes. The best aerobic exercises are bicycling, swimming, nordic skiing, and weight training (and probably a bunch of other low impact vigorous activities). I would qualify that last one with a caveat. The typical way that people work out with weights is pathetic. At any one time in the gym 60% or more of the people "working out" are doing nothing or piddling with their phones which is the same as nothing. Where did they get the ridiculous idea that doing nothing has anything to do with exercise.
Do this instead. Get on a machine and put on an amount of weight that you can push through a full range of motion at least 10 or 12 times. Work the muscle to exhaustion. Then quickly lower the weight and push to exhaustion. Repeat this until you hit the lower limit on the machine and your muscles are absolutely drained. Then quickly move to another machine before your heart rate drops. Voila, aerobic weight training.
11
@J.I.M. "Do this instead...push to exhaustion" For the cross-fitters out there, I say go for it. For the other 95+% in practice, this advice is unlikely to work. There is little point offering an exhausting workout regimen that few will continue after a month or less. It's no fun, and we tend not to stick with something that's no fun. Start out easy, establish the good habit of regular workouts, and do what you find pleasant or least unpleasant. Then work on consistency and intensity until regular exercise becomes a vital part of your life.
4
@Tom Good advice. People tend to think that you will live 10 -15 years longer if you exercise (especially if you mimic routines like the pros). This is a fallacy - life may be extended somewhat, but with regular exercise the more important result is vitality. Having vitality till the end is what counts to me.
4
Though my father was never one to workout, he stayed active into his 90s, mowing and raking his own yard and walking a few blocks to catch a ride to the grocery store with his friends.
In his mid-80s, he was still cleaning his own house gutters and climbing onto the roof to do minor chimney repairs, much to my dismay. He was fine.
He finally gave up the house the month before he turned 95 and moved to a continuous care facility where he lived, first independently and then in assisted living, until he died just after age 97.5. This is particularly remarkable considering that his parents died around age 40 and his brothers in their 50s.
This suggests that activity is important whether it is formal exercise or simply doing one's own household work.
35
This doesn’t suggest anything. He was lucky to live to a nice old age. Hopefully.
2
It certainly "suggests" something. Living to an active old age takes more than "luck"! Keep moving.
5
My father is 89 years old. He was an Aquatic “professor” for College of Dupage in Wheaton, Illinois. His name is Albert Zamsky.
He is still working as a swim teacher, he nannies a 3 year old, he volunteers and he tries to work out 7 days a week. I live in Seattle and when I ask him to visit, he says truthfully that he can’t because he has to work.
He can still swim 500 yards without stopping.
He is really busy this time of the year because he plays Santa for the Polar Express.
He has had several heart attacks!
Mr. Zamsky is an example of your study. Not only is he 89 1/2, but he is busier than most 50 year olds!
Kathy Zamsky
129
@Kathy Zamsky Thanks for sharing that story about your father, Kathy. I hope to be half as busy and fit at his age
40
@Kathy Zamsky
Your father is truly a marvel- and an inspiring model. Thanks for sharing him with us! I was glad to note that he maintains much of his fitness through swimming. I was concerned that in this article only running (jogging) and interval were mentioned. For those who are beyond their middle years, this won't work so well. Like your father, we all need to keep up exercise in whatever way we can, because, as they say, "if you want to keep moving, you have to keep moving".
Incidentally yoga and meditation have also been suggested in small studies to increase telomere length.
16
Oh! And stress shortens them.
7
Here is my unsolicited advice in place of where folks usually reply with biased opinions explaining how their favorite activity is the best/most beneficial:
Find a physical activity you like - any activity. Make it a habit and get out and move.
For me, in my mid-40s, it’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. For my wife it’s running. I have friends addicted to cycling, rugby, yoga, boxing, tennis and lots of other things.
Different activities have different benefits (and risks) of course, but It doesn’t really matter what you do in my opinion because doing anything has more benefit than doing nothing. Doing something you like means you will actually do it. A little bit of exercise a couple of times a week will probably pay off a lot more than crazy effort for a week twice a year trying to do latest “guaranteed health benefits” fad.
34
I started running a bit in my early twenties, then switched to aerobic dancing when that emerged in popularity as I enjoyed the music and rhythm of this. After bench aerobics was introduced I got into that - then interval sessions once a week, combined with the other aerobic activity and also enjoy riding my bicycle. I just love to move.
I did go to the gum for several years, as well, but found the culture to be weird.
At age 51, egged on by friends, I trained for my first half-marathon. Then I did ten more of those over the next nine years. Nothing like the feeling you get after you get past mile 7! I don’t do those anymore due to the injuries I’ve sustained, as I learned were due to strength imbalances and my “geometry”, but I still walk or jog most days, because I simply love doing it.
I had my DNA tested and learned that I have an “endurance” muscle genotype - Not a sprinter, obviously, but I can go long. As I understand my family, the ones who were athletes were all endurance athletes. Makes sense.
It remains to be seen if this research proves out, with the combination of other threats of disease that are environmentally caused, it likely introduces some variables.
3
@WW West, my husband did one of those dna test things and was told he had a sprinter muscle profile, as opposed to an endurance runner profile. Ironically (or not), he was a sprinter on his hs track team for 4 years. Funny how there is a biological/genetic reason for which activities you are “good at”.
1
Did they do a control genealogical profile? Age and health of parents and grand parents etc?
To All you people bragging about how people think you are way younger than you are: I have been told that since the age of 12. Wasn’t very helpful in school or the workplace right up to the moment I retired. Well, it helps that gray hair has not yet settled on me and I have beautiful blue eyes.
But then my parents looked younger too, one still does, my 96 year old mom who never exercised her whole life but ate wisely. She lives on her own. My dad a daily walker and active adult all his life died at 91.
I hear bragging increases your chances of dying by 100%. More funding necessary to complete my study.
8
@Moses Khaet, chances are that in your family people tend to have a biological age that is younger than their chronological age. It’s a combination of genetics and lifestyle. Living into your 90’s while being sedentary isn’t normal unless you have lots of other things going for you, like naturally good blood levels of nutrients and chemicals, naturally good blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. No smoking, no alcohol, no red meat, low stress, lots of water, eat fish and veg...those things all contribute to a longer life and younger bio-age, with or without exercise. Your parents looked young for their age and lived longer than normal. It fits the profile. Even if they didn’t eat right or exercise, they were genetically predisposed to a longer life. That does happen, and it runs in families, as most things genetic tend to do.
1
@Ann Smoking, drinking, non water-drinking, sedentary, prescription drug-taking mother turns 97 next year. Demetia, though.
3
I am a 103-year-old Pilates instructor who runs a marathon before breakfast, swims around Manhattan on Sundays, eats only arugula, and looks half the age of my son. My telomeres are 7 feet long. My secret is that I never watch reality TV.
297
@Dave Goldenberg The post of the month! Thanks, Dave.
18
@Dave Goldenberg
If you want to break the 105 year old men's indoor cycling record in 2 years, you are going to have to go cold turkey on watching televised news!
I am pulling for you Dave!!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/105-year-old-man-sets-cycling-world-record_us_586e5e98e4b0c4be0af31259
2
Award-winning lampoon, Dave Goldenberg.
9
I regularly run hills,lift weights at two gyms,and eat plants. However,I also drink vodka,drink wine,smoke cigars and sometimes eat pizza. For brain health,I practice law. I'm 75,but my doc says that I have the body of a 55 year old. I attribute that mainly to the running,which I've been doing four or five times a week for over sixty years.
15
when I studied first year medicine at uni, I learned that the muscles - like in our legs - may actually help pump blood around the body
without movement (using our muscles - not in a vehicle!) our muscles can atrophy - and our general health deteriorate quickly
my current problem as a 65yo is new - L shoulder bursitis and capsulitis (frozen shoulder) - making it painful to reach back to put on a shirt or jacket - and rendering me cautious of the pain from some movements and unwilling to do my previous push-ups.
I'm hopeful tho' - doing lots of daily specific exercises - and slowly slowly catchee monkey - fingers crossed !
8
@Frank
try acupuncture&myofascial release massage for frozen shoulder. It will take some time but it will work!
An article last week stated that training might reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. So, it sound like both aerobic and resistance training will benefit is as we age. I love them both for different reasons and am grateful I can engage in both (with sides of Pilates and yoga) as I approach middle age. I never regret exercising whatever the category.
12
Does having circulating white blood cells that have become “biologically younger” as assessed by longer telomeres after adherence to an aerobic exercise regimen provide any measurable benefit?
There’s isn’t any evidence presented here that exercise-induced longer telomeres on white cells provides health benefits.
It is important to not “get carried away” here and to consider the reaserch finding for what it is: evidence of increase telomere length from aerobic exercise and nothing beyond that.
16
@C.
Your question about health benefits was answered at the beginning of the article.
"There is mounting and rousing evidence that being physically active affects how we age, with older people who exercise typically being healthier, more fit, better muscled and less likely to develop a variety of diseases and disabilities than their sedentary peers. "
The researchers are trying to find out why this is the case. Telomers look to be a promising answer to that why question.
6
@Michael F
Thanks for your reply to my comment. The field of telomere research is fascinating and complex in equal measure and my point is simply that tempting as it may be to assert causality, science reporters should be circumspect and not “overstate” the impact and genarizability of a particular research syudy’s findings.
See for example
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29186077
7
@C. Good points, C. The study includes references to a few other studies showing links between longer telomeres in white blood cells and lower risk of heart disease. But as you point out, those links do not prove that the longer telomeres directly cause improvement in health. I'm hoping and expecting that we will see more studies soon that look into those issues.
14
So I’m 51, and took up cycling last year. Now during winter I’m running on a treadmill a few times a week.
Running is much harder than cycling. I was cycling 100 miles (untimed), and running takes so much more exertion.
That said any type of regular exercise really makes me feel so much more energized... really amazing!
19
@Eri
try adding some nice hills into your riding and you wont think cycling is so easy...I ride some that would make you cry for mercy very quickly.
3
Anyone over 50 (I am) who does aerobic exercise regularly needs to mix it up or else the joints take a huge beating. In inclement weather and/or early morning darkness, the treadmill is my go-to, but weight lifting helps my legs take a much needed break. Also, nothing beats aqua-aerobics for cardio without the joint strain. As for those who dissed yoga, again the more flexibility you can build while minimizing pain, the better your aerobic workouts. At some point, the so-called “Vitamin I” (ibuprofen) takes a toll and your body needs a respite - which weights, yoga and water movement all enable.
8
Another excellent low-impact, full-body workout is rowing, so long as you keep focused on the correct form.
1
I moved from straight competitive age group running (at 57) to the Triathlon. Mixing up swimming and biking has greatly reduced soreness and injuries. I feel a lot better and swimming specifically has been a great no impact cardio exercise. The bike also is low impact and mix in 2 weight training sessions per week in session. Far strong and run times off the swim and bike at as fast as stand alone times (18 minutes for the 5k). Highly recommend mixing it up.
1
Read this Chinese saying awhile ago: "a river never becomes putrid, a door hinge never becomes rusty".
8
@david sabbagh—which only proves Chinese sayings can be seriously misleading.
2
@Larry D-Ha! Good one :-) How about, " A running river etc., and a door opened often, etc. ?"
My aunt Hazel just jump out of a airplane on her 85 b-day last april.. @ 50 she quit vises, ran in marathons all over the world. including Everest and Antarctica, she now walks, everyday and has the best diet of ANYONE... for 30 plus years.. and she still works.. movement and diet...
11
It’s important to get winded several times a week. You have to stress your body out regularly to maintain benefits.
What you don’t use you loose.
17
There is no such thing as a "biologically younger" cell. A cell is the age it is, period. I'd also like Ms. Reynolds to provide a definition for "unsuccessful aging", since there now appears to be something called "successful aging", which, until I saw this article, I always took to be the state one is in when one is not dead.
32
@Menno Aartsen I disagree with your understanding of aging. I have noticed that until you hit your 50's or so people tend to age fairly uniformly. Then at some point they start to diverge. Some retain much of their vigor and function and some seem to hit a wall and rapidly decline. Of course there is an inevitable decline but there is something to the idea of aging in a manner that preserves mobility and cognitive function. I also have a feeling that despite that inevitable decline, heavy regular exercise is the best way to "use it and not lose it".
14
@Menno Aartsen
When I studied Gerontology at the University of Washington in the early 1990’s, I was struck by one thing that we learned in the first week of classes. Humans are very diverse at the extremes of life. In infancy, childhood and old age we have a great variance in health and survival. After surviving the early years, midlife is much more homogenous, with lower mortality.
I’m fascinated by the research coming out about the mutability of our health and lifespans based on activity, diet (there seem to be many health forms of diet), gut microbiota, etc.
Despite all of the problems in the world, I feel fortunate to live during this explosion in scientific knowledge.
5
Of course, the Times also published an article on Dec.4th about how weight training cuts the risks of heart attack and stroke. I guess that could be added to aerobic exercise.
Telomere length is also supported by meditation. I guess that could be added too.
And don't forget nutrition. If the experts ever actually figure that part out . . .
11
Supports the Michael Pollan approach to exercise: Work out. Not too much. Mix it up between cardio and weights. There you go!
24
@Kat
How much is 'too much'? I see nothing in the article suggesting that one should not exercise a lot.
3
@Kat
Plus he suggests meditation and/or tripping on magic mushrooms, etc. in his latest book
2
Probably no hard-and-fast prescription for “too much”. Everyone has a different threshold. Listen to your body.
3
Since these benefits seem to be tied to intensity of exercise, what heart rate should one target (more specifically, % of one's maximum HR) when working out?
16
@Bob. It depends on your level of fitness and your age. It's best to consult your doctor or an athletic trainer.
@Bob Good question, Bob. In this study, the people in the 'continuous endurance training' group, who jogged or walked for 45 minutes, were working out at a moderate pace, generally at or above about 70 percent of their maximum heart rate. Those in the high-intensity interval group were working out at an intensity closer to 90 percent of their maximum heart rate but only for 4 minutes at a time.
18
@Gretchen Reynolds Thanks for this info! When I walk I am usually between 60-65% of my max HR, so it sounds like I could increase the intensity a few notches.
4
Yoga man... flexibility, balance, posture, serenity
7
@RMH, seems a false serenity: no cardio w/ yoga so therefor no cardio-triggered enhancement of the telomere gene protectors
4
@MinisterOfTruth
Yoga can most definitely be aerobic, it’s not all corpse pose and serenity - Truth!
1
Leave it to the scientific community to make things overly complcated. Every month a new article comes out saying one thing or another regarding weight lifting or aerobics or whatever. Meanwhile my aunt in Maine just turned one hundred and she hasn't exercised for years, yet she lives by herself in her home where a nurse checks on her daily.
Having hiked and lived in many parts of the world, and reading the Blue Zones several times, a suspect a Mediterranean diet coupled with red wine and community plus hiking every day up steep hills does the job. Just keep moving.
At age 82 with a plant based diet (most of the time) with pilates, some yoga, cardio in Silver Fit classes and weight lifting, seems to fit the bill. Mostly, I love the lively music in the classes, and the community in the Silver fit classes where there are fifty women and five men in each class. I also find work on a seasonal basis at places like Costco and Amazon for two-three months provides mental and physical challenges while adding income to Social Security. At this age, it's all good. Just keep breathing and moving!!!
70
@David Michael, I thank the scientific groups, not bash em.
"The scientific method is a lie detector" -- Anon?
-----
6
@David Michael The scientific community does not make things "overly complicated" - Nature makes things overly complicated.
3
Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Despite the muscle-building, flab-trimming and, according to recent research, mood-boosting benefits of lifting weights, such resistance exercise has generally been thought not to contribute much to heart health, as endurance workouts like jogging and cycling do. But a study published in October in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise provides evidence for the first time that even a little weight training might reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. People appear to gain this benefit whether or not they also engage in frequent aerobic exercise.
The study drew from an invaluable cache of health data gathered at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, where thousands of men and women have been undergoing annual checkups, which include filling out detailed questionnaires about their exercise habits and medical history. More than 12,500 records were anonymized for men and women, most of them middle-aged, who had visited the clinic at least twice between 1987 and 2006. The subjects were categorized according to their reported resistance exercise routines, ranging from those who never lifted to those who completed one, two, three or more weekly sessions (or whether they lifted for more or less than an hour each week). Another category was aerobic exercise and whether subjects met the standard recommendation of 150 minutes per week of brisk workouts.
T
6
Repair of our cells is the key. As we age the repair system gets weaker. If we can regain the repair mechanism(available in our DNA but less active) then we can regain our health. How to do this?
#1- Regular vigorous exercise with intervals as described. $-5 minutes of brisk exercise then 2-3 minutes all out, do this 3-4 times a week for 30 mins.
#2- Plant based diet with emphasis on fiber. Our bacteria related to our cell health.
#3- Fast 2 days out of five. Less calories less stress on cells. Need 16-20 hours of no calories to activate the repair system.
5
If you follow the links to the study, you'll see that all forms of exercise have value, but those benefits are different. For example, the weight lifters, while not getting the same telomere boost, got a bigger drop in blood pressure than the other exercise groups.
Looked at this way, the study suggests that a modest exercise program that includes aerobic, interval training and weight lifting will provide a broader array of health benefits than any of those programs alone.
42
@Josey Thanks for going the extra mile. The article (especially one in NYT) should have mentioned the greater benefit to blood pressure (another precursor to longevity) that weight lifting provides.
4
How about sitting in a sauna ?
Is it 'heating up' or actual exercise?
4
It is heating up the body but the benefits are similar to exercise, targeting cardiovascular health and boosting the immune system. It also prevents muscle atrophy and muscle growth when in combination with exercise.
2
@Sara
Please do not confuse sauna use as a meaningful substitute for exercise. There are physiologic perturbations that are necessary to achieve the benefits this and similar articles reference that simply "heating up" will never provide.
For instance, it's likely in this study that the shear stress and turbulence of blood flow through the vessels was the impetus needed to get endothelial cells to release nitric oxide, that molecule linked to increased telomere length. Unlikely that sitting in a sauna would provide this benefit that is largely a result of aerobic or intense interval training exercise.
9
I lift weights twice a week and do pilates twice a week and walk two very active dogs 2-3 times a day. I also work 10-12 hours a day sitting. All I want to do is take a nap. However I look much younger for my age and all seems to be well, for now. Just move a lot.
19
Easy. Get out of your car. Ride a bike to work. Done.
5
@justpaul
It seems like such a no-brainer -- bike lanes everywhere!!! Good for the health of people; good for the planet and global warming. I used to bike to work when I lived on Long Island and Philadelphia (combination of bicycling and public transportation). I never felt better or more invigorated. It's almost impossible for me now, between roads and work hours. I miss it so much and must do it indoors for exercise.
They do it in the Netherlands. What forces stand in the way in the U.S? Like most such absurdities, probably a conspiracy of the usual money-making villains, resistance to change and human self-indulgence/lethargy.
3
@Katie The Netherlands fits comfortably inside New Hampshire. Comparing peaches with melons provides no benefit to scientific discourse. If you were to commute, on a bicycle, from White Plains, NY, to Manhattan, you'd have biked half the width of The Netherlands, which nobody over there does.
7
@Menno Aartsen
When I lived in Long Island, I rode my bicycle 7 miles to the LIRR, took the train and then took a bus. It was a combination of public transportation and bike that allowed me to commute 16 miles -- took 50 minutes. I had a car, but riding the bike was glorious.
I know there are limitations because of the US geography. However, in addition to the Netherlands, bicycles are also used much more in the large country of China than in the US.
The geographical challenges aren't the entire reason. Maybe bikes aren't practical in all situations, but they could be used a lot more than they are in the US. It's just not the current convention and as a result many people in the US probably wouldn't/couldn't adapt. Maybe someday global warming. . .
4
Just doing some kind of activity is better than none. Some times plain old walking is the only option for people with very bussy lives. If we are told that only vigorous exercise will bring worthy health beneffits then this kind of articles do more harm than good to encourage people to take any activity or exrcise.
Just move!
12
If you run enough you'll develop amazing agility because you have to constantly dodge clueless dog walkers with their dogs on 20 foot leashes.
36
@Mons
That's my experience as well.
I was also chased once by a territorial Sandhill Crane. That go my hear rate up!
The article seems to conflate aerobic walking and running, or maybe it ignores aerobic walking all together. It is uncllear at best.
4
Exactly. All of a sudden walking just dropped from the article as soon as it was mentioned....
I love these articles because they corroborate how I feel as a result of maintaining a lifestyle which includes consistent exercise, good diet and very little consumption of alcohol. My observations about exercise:
- Change it up. In a week I spin once, ride an indoor trainer 2-3 times, lift weights with core work and little rest between stations twice, swim once, run on either grass or a treadmill (never on concrete or asphalt) once and my wife and I walk 5 miles round trip to breakfast on Sat and Sun mornings.
- Be consistent and patient as you build fitness. Every January our gym sees a wave of New Year's resolution people going too hard and not appearing to derive any enjoyment from their efforts. They are nearly all gone by March and I think they should have started with something they like that let's them ramp up steadily. Brisk walking is a wonderful activity.
- Get a personal music device and put together tracks you love. It makes a difference.
- Over 35 stay away from activity that pounds your joints. No jumping or running on any surface that is laid over concrete. Beware fitness classes floors. Joint damage is not easily reversed and will stop exercise.
- Don't believe exercise will make you live longer or overcome some hidden genetic time bomb. It improves the quality of your life.
- Don't worry if you take a day off. You'll be fresh when you come back.
- Do walkabouts when you visit places.
- Have fun. Laugh at yourself in the hamster wheel!
59
"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried". Gilbert K. Chesterton
So it is with exercise. Our society is becoming increasingly obese and sedentary. It is quite clear that the promise of adding 2.13476 years of decrepitude to the end of life 30 years in the future doesn't motivate many. The exercise salespeople need a different pitch. I exercise so that I can climb the next steep hill, carry a 50 pound suitcase or lift a heavy weight from a high shelf. To motivate people you need to offer and early and certain reward, not something uncertain years in the future.
11
@Michael Feely For me it's all about how exercise makes me feel. I'm much happier and more positive when I do it. And that 'can do' feeling permeates the rest of my life.
9
Aerobic exercise 5 days a week and weight training 2 days a week. At least an hour each session.
Minimal drinking (special occasions only). A low calorie (1500/d at most) diet of unprocessed, home cooked food, no smoking, in bed by 10.
Get a dog for companionship and to force you to walk for 1.5 hours per day added up.
I am a 65 year old doctor. I weigh less than I did in college. My patient's usually think I'm in my 40's. I take no medications and have had no surgeries (knock on wood). I can keep up with my kids on the ski slope and in the gym.
Living habits and fitness are the most important determinants of the length and quality of your life.
53
Your inherited genes are the most important factor doctor.
40
@JP Tolins
"Living habits and fitness are the most important determinants of the length and quality of your life."
With all due respect JP, you DO NOT know this, nor can you substantiate this with scientific research.
2
@Dump Drumpf Your assertion is not supported by research. The correlation between genes and longevity has not turned out to be very strong. Lifestyle is much more strongly correlated.
3
The study demonstrated that inactive middle aged individuals can lengthen their telomeres with an aerobic exercise program. A previous study already demonstrated aerobically fit middle aged individuals had longer telomeres. There are other markers of health that are enhanced by aerobic exercise, strength training, balance and flexibility. There is evidence that standing for a period of time has health benefits. The bottom line is we need a variety of activities to stay healthy as we age. The best combination is the one we will actually do and enjoy.
11
As an 82 year old who believes you only have so many heart beats and then you die, I certainly disagree with this article. As always healthy people can exercise, unhealthy people can’t. It is not the exercise that causes them to be healthy. I have always been a disciple of Jim Fixx, he used up his heart beats and he died.
And didn’t Gretchen write an article last week saying that weight lifting was the way to long life.
10
The fact remains, you can believe whatever you want. Just remember, believing doesn’t make it so.
14
You are correct about the recent weight training article. I noticed this, too, and copied a link to it in my comment just a few below yours. Everything you know is wrong and everything is true. Keep that ticker ticking!
7
@Rich Murphy What scientific study showed that you only have so many heart beats?
3
The reporting on this study (of a small number of people) seems to indicate that middle-aged healthy persons who do not exercise but who engage in a routine of "strenuous" (?) high-intensity interval training will grow longer telomeres than similar persons who engage in "a circuit of resistance exercises" (whatever that is) which is of sufficiently less intensity such that the pulse rates of those who engaged in resistance exercises (presumably while or just after exercising) were lower than those who engaged in more directly aerobic activity. And who knows what the controls were for eating, rest & sleep.
I'm 65 years old and don't know Squat about telomeres, but I do know that when I engage in regular sessions of picking up pieces of iron off the floor and putting them back down again, I have to stop periodically to catch my breath and let my heart rate slow down and that when I finish I am drenched in sweat. And my physical, mental & emotional health are all better than ever.
Maybe this is all about consistency and intensity and not about method.
7
@Louis Yes, lifting can be quite aerobic if you lift sufficiently heavy and compound, and if you superset (interleave exercises that use different muscles) so you're not just sitting there (or using your phone, as millennials tend to do) letting your heart rate slow down while recovering to do the same exercise again.
1
I am a 66-year-old distance running woman who runs generally every morning at 3:00 AM. I am thin, robustly healthy and look at least 20 years younger than my chronological age. My running and movement (constant) keep me far more active than most people around me who are young, obese and depressed. I am a physician/surgeon/professor who works long hours standing but constantly fidgeting. I take no medications, eat mostly fresh fruit and vegetables (no dairy or processed food) with a very high-output lifestyle. I park my car in the furthermost space from my office and brisk walk into my university. I watch people drive around fighting for the closest spaces, riding around on carts, and slouched in front of a computer or telly. I have a resting heart rate of 48, run flights of stairs (have 14 floors in my hospital) and love being active. I have good genes but I take care of myself and enjoy my life. Now off to play a bit of rugby with my mates who are all men half my age.
14
Live long and feel good.
2
Omg! I’m exhausted after reading this! I better get to the gym pronto!
13
@njbmd
It's always interesting to me how often people use articles such as this one to toot their own horn.
(1) How does this comment add anything to our understanding of the subject at hand?
(2) ...and please explain how you "know" you have GOOD genes.
Thanks.
13
The headline of this report: "Is Aerobic Exercise the Key to Successful Aging?"
Your headline is misleading and would seem to ignore previous articles on the benefits of various other forms of exercise. It would help if your copy desk (if there still is one, given all the buyouts of veteran editors at The Times) paid attention to previous/recent articles this same newspaper has published (particularly on December 4th, when your headline on an article read: "Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke ). Rule # 1 of the health rules of this Make America Sane, NYC subscriber to The Times is "Exercise to keep your reporting/editing skills sharp." Reporter Gretchen Reynolds does a fine job in informing us of what's being uncovered in the exercise-research field. I doubt she writes the headlines. In these cases, I hope not.
4
@Make America Sane
This particular article refers to findings that suggest a link between aerobic exercise and telomere length, telomere length believed by many scientists to be a sign of a cell's biological age. Biologically younger cells might help us as we chronologically age. The previous article you refer to was about the effect that weight training can have on reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Different parameters were examined in the two reports and outcomes were also assessed differently; in this article heart rate was monitored and blood was drawn to specifically assess changes in telomeres.
I agree about the title though. 'Successful' aging involves a combination of many factors so a more accurate title might ask if a varied exercise regimen could be the key to 'successful' aging.
4
Do what makes you happy... Said no one ever
3
Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke https://nyti.ms/2DZQsRh?smid=nytcore-ios-share
4
Oh, now telomeres can be lengthened? Why is so much of the medical community so insistent on making things non-negotiable one way events (ex. nerves never regenerate) only to have it proven otherwise later?
Exercise is good for you? Who knew? (sarcasm intended)
4
@SW
The modern medical community is not insistent on making things non-negotiable. The half-life of much of medical knowledge is under a decade, and the vast majority of medical investigators know this. New data come to light that changes older theoretical constructs and recommendations. It is expected that much of current knowledge will be superseded. Medical science is not theological dogma.
10
@JSK
Sorry but the articles I read about nerves and telomeres were very clear that they were one way only and that turns out to be simply untrue...no discussion mentioned by the "vast majority"
All these studies are suspect as the sample size is small. This causes apparently contrary results between studies. Take this study, where there are 124 participants divided into 4 groups, meaning 31 in each. If just 4 or so participants improve in one group could yield a “significant “ result. There are some great Wikipedia articles on cautions with statistics, especially with small sample sizes.
The truth is exercise is good for you. Try it and you will feel great. That’s my conclusion from a sample of one.
8
I don't think small sample size necessarily makes a study suspect. It depends strongly on the the type and size of the effect, and one has to read the original study to know that. If different subsets of genes are activated in most members of the different subgroups, that's good qualitative evidence that is hard to explain via random chance. If OTOH we are talking about small but statistically significant differences in means, with a large amount of error/noise, then yes, you would want to see replication and corroboration.
This study was meant to be a manipulative investigation of the causality of an association already seen in a large-sample corrolational study. In this context the small sample size experimental study builds upon the previous large sample study.
Bottom line is, yes, don't put a lot of stock on single studies without considering other research and review studies. Definitely don't use single studies as a strong basis to change your behavior without considering context.
That said, even small studies do a lot more work to qualify their limitiations than the main source of input our brains get: advertising. In this climate I think it's important not to discount peer reviewed science. Science is limited, but paying close attention to it, even to single studies, provides a much better probability of making a rational decision than does ignoring science as flawed or too complex, leaving us to be emotionally hijacked by advertising.
2
what is middle age in this study? over 40? over 50? over 60? hard to know.
5
For New Yorkers: Every time you go up or down in an elevator, stand on just one leg without holding on to anything (be prepared to grab onto a railing though just in case.) You'll find that your ankles and foot muscles develop in strength and agility and you'll be much more resilient to bumps and slick places on the sidewalk. Plus, it's a lot more fun than just standing there. If someone else is on the elevator, go ahead, be a role model!
17
Aside from the longstanding evidence touting the benefits of exercise as we age, a newer study (several limitations therein) raises the cautionary tale that vigorous training might worsen dementia: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/899805 ("Can Exercise Worsen Dementia?," 27 July 2018).
From that summary:
"It's hard to explain why exercise in healthy people might protect against cognitive decline, but exercise in people with dementia might make it worse. Sheehan theorized that already weakened brains might be too fragile to withstand the temporary loss of oxygen that comes with vigorous exercise. But there isn't much information yet to support or refute such ideas."
My point is not to denigrate the importance of exercise, but blanket public health recommendations should be tempered. For some people resistance training might make more sense than interval training. There remains much we do not know and much to learn.
5
if you don't like this article just wait a few weeks and one will show up saying just the opposite. Like the one the NYT ran less than 2 weeks ago proclaiming "Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke"
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/well/move/even-a-little-weight-training-may-cut-the-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke.html
The real point is that the research in this area is not reliable.
2
@Mike T. The two findings are not incompatible, so not the opposite.
8
The theory of relativity says that moving clocks run slow.
5
@Ed Blackmond LOL
These studies are fascinating, but I can’t help but wonder how we know so little about fitness and health, especially what’s ‘eating right’ (which I realize is not the subject of this study) after 40+ plus years of fitness focus (maybe obsession) in our society.
Great article.
1
@Dan Too many variables ... billions. (As in people).
I started running at 24 to lose weight. Now 40 years later I don't run quite as much; but I have incorporated spinning, jacobs ladder, HIIT, etc. for my aerobic needs. I have also weight trained for a number of years. I have to laugh when people dissect these studies to the nth degree. Keep up with your aerobic training, lift weights, eat healthy and you will feel better both physically and mentally Is it a cure for the unexpected illnesses? No. But the odds are on your side That's about as much as we can ask for.
57
I'm 72, have always been active; physical work, ran for a while but have lousy feet, which are worse than ever and painful. So I ride a bicycle, stretch, and most important ... swim! Biking is casual; errands, a ride in the park, some days a couple of miles, some days not at all; the most important part is not to get neurotic.
I am disciplined about swimming; I try to go 3 days a week, do laps; 30+ minutes = 1/2 mile+. My stroke ain't pretty; 2 shoulder dislocations & arm/elbow damage from working; who cares? Proof of it's value? Recently traveling for a few weeks, couldn't swim much; found a 'y' or club - never got the 3 days and felt the difference. At best, when I swim I forget the nonsense and enter a sort of 'blank' space. When I'm done I feel less tired, have more energy, and feel 'high'.
Aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up and therefore your breathing and circulation. Our blood carries nutrients to our cells and takes away waste. 30+ minutes of this cleans you out.
Remember learning about fire: "Fuel+Oxygen+Heat" ?
Aerobic exercise means more oxygen, less fuel, same heat (or energy) Don't take my word for it; most improvements to the internal combustion engine have involved cramming in more air to get more energy from less fuel ... more carburetors; (4) 2 barrel carbs etc ... Then fuel injection, then other gasses etc.
Yes, we eventually die, but what's important is how alive we feel for our minuscule 50 or70 or 80 years. Enjoy !
77
Also think about balance. At age 74, I'm also working on maintaining physical balance and reflexes, with the goal of avoiding the broken wrists and shoulder injuries due to falls that have sidelined too many of my healthy and active friends.
35
I am 66. When the weather allows it, I try and walk for an hour a day (I still work full-time and have numerous professional obligations).
I have an elliptical machine in my study for when I can't
walk. I always wonder whether that machine will give me a heart attack. So far so good.
Somewhere I read that weight training was necessary to keep muscles from wasting away as one ages. I might have even read it in the NYT. Whatever I read, it forgot to add that for people my age, there is always the chance of tearing Rotator Cuff Tendons in one's shoulder. Of course I did. So now I have 2 sets of barbells in my study; I look at them every day, right before I work up the energy to get on the elliptical. My wife wants to pack them away. I leave them there thinking I might use them again.
Will the aerobic keep me younger? Who know. I'll settle for it keeping me getting older.
37
I have alway exercised and I am now 58 years old but I am now injuring myself with high intensity or powerful exercises. The base of my left thumb is now arthritic and is painful after gripping a dumbbell...cortisone shot. My right hip has chronic bursitis from rowing in an erg...cortisone shot. Frozen shoulder from rowing....cortisone shot. Tendinitis in my left elbow from rowing...cortisone shot. Planters Fascitis from vigorously walking the treadmill....cortisone shot. Now that I am presently nursing my right hip, I realize I can no longer keep injuring myself and I need to be mindful of my body. I must now seek a type of exercise that is gentler and kinder to my body and I must accept I will no longer have the very lean and muscular body of my pre-menopausal days.
23
@Nora I'm sorry to hear of your injuries - may I suggest cycling? Even vigorous cycling is easy on the joints.
2
@Nora Pilates on the reformer and Cadillac are also great for strengthening, flexibility and aerobic activity without the injuries found in more high impact activities. It’s great for all ages,but especially for those of us over 50.
Also great with minor modifications for people with osteopenia and osteoporosis.
5
@Nora its great you at least try to exercise but seem to go too hard and dont listen to your body. several of the injuries you have incurred are repetitive-motion types and you should have had some warning they were not getting better before having to get a shot. and please talk to Dr injection about too much cortisone.
I'd suggest focusing solely on non-impact exercises like swimming, yoga, tai chi or regular walking but the commonality I think most troubling is inflammatory your response seems excessive. and thats mostly diet and heredity. have a hsCRP test and see where youre at on a base inflammation level and find an honest endocrinologist or functional med Dr and good luck.
4
This study showed that aerobic exercise increased mean telomere length, a biological endpoint that is not clinically useful. The prior study on weightlifting showed decreased cardiovascular events, a clinically useful endpoint. There is nothing in either study that contradicts the other as they are investigating unrelated questions.
6
@Abe great point. Weight training with interval training has kept me from falling apart. My Quality of life is remarkable duectobthecweightvtraing (with a trainer) 2-3 times per week.
3
If we lived in a society where our actions were all natural and wedded to our immediate survival, these questions would be moot. Two hundred years ago, nobody sat around and mulled the effects of various forms of activity; nobody went to the gym to ridiculously hoist chunks of iron over their heads, they just lived their necessarily arduous lives. Except for the very wealthy, physical activity was essential to daily living from dusk till dawn. Now, we have apps that monitor every cell division but are certainly no better off. I doubt if 1 in a 100 people now would be capable of the displaying the pure physical joy among the peasants we see in a single Bruegel painting without calling 911 for fear of a heart attack.
26
@stan continople You make some good points about movement but I can't believe you just used the phrase "pure physical joy" when referring to agricultural peasants. Skeletal records show some pretty horrible side-effects of the repetitive tasks peasants did. It was not a good life. Now, if you want to talk about the diverse movements of hunter-gatherers and even pastoralists I am with you.
4
@stan continople
nobody went to the gym to ridiculously hoist chunks of iron over their heads,
I'm not sure that's true. I believe that the Greeks and the Romans did some sort of weight-training (maybe with heavy stones). Isn't the word "gymnasium" a Greek word? If so, it strongly implies that the Greeks had gyms.
@Paul
and life span was 45 / 50 ....
Just wait, 5 years from now another study will show just the opposite; that weight training does indeed make our cells younger, not cardio. How many times i have read one research study done saying one thing only to read a few years later another study saying the exact opposite. So, even if true, you want to live another 5 or 10 years longer for what? More air, water, land pollution, population explosion, global warming, sea levels rising, higher crime rates, more war, terrorism? When my time comes to leave this wonderful, pristine, peaceful world; then i leave. Enough with the this"fear of death" neurosis, please.
25
@lou andrews it’s not just about the end game. It’s also about how much we can do with our bodies as we age. BC of exercise I can hoist around my grandkids, play tag, climb ladders, move big stones when planting, the list goes on.... We are meant to move, built to move. The more we move the better we feel.
53
@lou andrews
You sound angry, but at what, or who? For me, it's not just about living longer but about living better ... Yes, exercise is part of it, but also reach out, say hello to a stranger, support a charity, vote, protest, volunteer ... I'm not 'religious', but do try to be spiritual; the two are different, so 'heaven on earth' resonates in whatever way you choose, and exercise helps ... 'Feeling good' may just be temporary, but if enough moments in a day feel good, the day brightens a bit, the world looks better, and tomorrow might be even better... Human Beings consist of mind + body + spirit .... How you divide it up is your choice.
10
@lou andrews So you are advocating a halt to all research? One study leads to another, to another. They are never all encompassing. Science does not work that eay.
3
Not sure how much value this study has.
First - the end point - "telomere health" - is not what we would call a hard end point - death, age of first heart attack/stroke, age at diagnosis of cancer, etc. This is particularly important because it is not clear that "telomere health" is causally related, let alone associated with, increased longevity. Please note the words "some researchers speculated" and "telomere health seems to protect our DNA".
Second - where is the statistical analysis proving the results seen were valid and not due to chance? It's awfully tough to draw statistically valid results from small studies like this one (124 participants).
Maybe the study has value at the basic research level in directing more funding toward "telomere health" projects. Beyond that, not sure how much there is really there.
11
Dear @M, it's clear to me you are not a published prevention scientist with any history of randomized trials. I am. If you had clicked through the hyperlink to the European Heart Journal, you would would have been able to read the full study and the relevant statistics. Actually, if you had training in experimental science, you would know that it is MUCH harder to show statistical significance with a small sample than with a large sample. That is stats 101.
2
Not a surprising study at all. I read "The Telomere Effect" by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel and this study pretty much sums it all in what they claim.
In addition, other mechenims that may protect telomere damage is having adequate levels of vitamin D and meditation can increase levels of telomerease. I also believe that astaxanthin may play a role in telomere lenght (not fully sure). Becarful, however, those who are pre-cancerious or succeptable to cancel may not benefit from activities that benefit telomere growth.
2
The "training effect" is that you build more capillaries and mitochondria. This gives you more energy and endurance. Statins negate the training effect. Run statin free!
8
The message to combine aerobic exercise and weight training has been out for at least the forty years I’ve been doing both.
90
I can only say I feel a big difference between short walks and 90+ minute walks.
9
What about swimming? I have an arthritic hip and one degenerated disk, so swimming is all I can do, and fortunately I can do it it every except for the short winter in Arizona.
12
After a certain age, the difference between aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise is a formal one.
17
Maybe aerobics is the low hanging fruit and it just takes longer to realize strength benefits. I added weights to my cardio workout 20 years ago. I’m now in my 60’s and very happy I did. Many of the nagging knee, hip and back injuries joggers incur can be eliminated with proper strength training. Do both. And if you want to hit the trifecta, add Yoga too.
311
@William Tennant
I'm in the same age group and have experienced similar benefits from a combination of strength training and aerobics. Rather than yoga, I do a full 30-minute stretching/flexibiity program. I've found, too, that it helps to throw in some balance exercises, although you doubtless get that through yoga.
Motion is lotion. Rest is rust.
27
@William Tennant, you have to take these indivisual studies with a pinch of salt. I have done resistance training all my life and found through an other report it helps the heart fight off various problems.
We just cannot depend on one individual study to shape our entire lives. But one remains, be active all your lives and if you "stretch" it via interval training or push weight training to its limits at any age, its not a negative. In fact it is a huge plus.
12
Thank you for your article.
I wish that everyone would read it and take strides to better their health.
I run 30 miles a week, walk most places that I go and lift weights twice a week.
These things I do not to live forever, but in an attempt to remain healthy for as long as possible.
Also, I am vain...
228
@arubaG Tell the truth and shame the devil:)
12
@Marifa
Vanity, all is vanity
5
Me too.
3
out of curiosity, is it possible healthy older people exercise and those that are unhealthy are unable to exercise which impacts the data? - it seems comparing 20 year olds with 80 year olds is not quite the same thing - I'm in my 60s, have exercised regularly for over 45 years and have found a way around knee issues to keep my heart rate high bicycling and using the elliptical trainer but not everyone can do this in their 80s - the question is about comparing healthy older people who can and do exercise with those that don't rather than comparing healthy older people with unhealthy older people who can't exercise
6
@samusic - They did this as a controlled study, checking levels beforehand, then randomly assigning the subjects into one of three groups. That said, the effects of aerobic and strength activity might be different in older or younger populations, or those that are already fit.
3
@samusic I do not drive which makes it harder to get home from the gym at night. I used to swim, took Zumba and Yoga classes, and did strength training (all of which helped me tremendously with life-long insomnia). I stopped going for a while. I'm now hypertensive, diabetic and have severe retinopathy. I plan to return soon, somehow.
2
@GymGurl
You didn't state your age, but please, trust your own conclusions - Sorry that not driving keeps you from swimming, which for me is the best ... 'plan to return soon, somehow.' .... Please make that promise to yourself and keep it.
3
I wonder whether doing exercise and maintaining telomeres correlates with disease resistance, especially viral infections that are being implicated in diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer. I hope so.
5
@a goldstein in general, yes
I don't think that this study contradicts the findings of the one referenced in "Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heat Attack and Stroke". They address different aspects of health. At the moment, it appears that there is not a single biomarker that indicates good health; folks have to stitch together a plan from the findings in disparate studies, e.g. focus on telomeres vs. CVD event prevention vs. stress reduction vs. gut biome diversity .... Trying to find the magic metric for what is "good health" is a daunting but laudable task.
Don't be frustrated with the findings - be excited and informed on all of these things, including, yes, diet studies.
Keep moving, do different things to keep it interesting and enjoy the trip.
101
@Ed Kiefer Thanks for the encouragement Ed!
3
@Ed Kiefer If you are running or walking and you fall, all that weight lifting you did will protect you (with stronger bones and muscles) from serious injury.
8
Why do so many people have problems with reports on new studies? Why do they take each one in isolation, and not form a complete picture? This article is not claiming to be an exhaustive review of all the available literature but is simply reporting on one study with some ancillary interviews. As an NY Times reader, you are likely well-informed and have read many, many articles touting the fitness benefits of one thing or another. What anyone needs to do is just fit it within all the prior reading, and understand that studies might seem to contradict each other, but that is only normal, given publication biases and statistical distributions. No single study is conclusive or exhaustive, so one needs to understand the totality of information, not just the latest article.
138
One reason is the clickbaity title and subhead, which would benefit from being as circumspect as you, e.g. "Study suggests …" or "One study shows …"
2
I am 76 years old, and one of the very early women marathon runners. I still just love to run; albeit much slower. But, NYT, thank you for articles like these. I really enjoy them and find them inspiring.
174
"Higher serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in women"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2196219/
This research finds that lower vitamin D and higher CRP (due to chronic inflammation such as atheroscrelosis or rheumatoid arthritis) are related with shorter telomere length.
Their conclusion is, "Our findings suggest that higher vitamin D concentrations, which are easily modifiable through nutritional supplementation, are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length, which underscores the potentially beneficial effects of this hormone (vitamin D) on aging and age-related diseases."
"Recent studies suggest that vitamin D, folate and vitamin B12, are involved in telomere biology and cellular aging. In particular, vitamin D is important for a range of vital cellular processes including cellular differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. " https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25803084
Doctors usually don't test CRP or hs CRP because the test doesn't tell which organ is in trouble. Mayo Clinic says, "It's thought that a high level of hs-CRP in your blood is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks. A CRP test doesn't indicate the cause of inflammation, though, so it's possible that a high hs-CRP level could mean there's inflammation caused by something besides your heart."
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/c-reactive-protein-test/about/pac-20385228
11
This research finds, "CRP is lower in individuals with better exercise capacity and demonstrate that this relationship is also apparent in individuals without overt heart disease undergoing cardiovascular evaluation through the treadmill exercise test."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718592/
This research hints that aerobic exercise lowers CRP, which is a possible independent cause of shortening tolemere length.
4
@Wind Surfer Yes, this true. One can easily find out this info on www.pubmed.gov. That is way better than any other site, because Pubmed is the National Library of Medicine.
Like many of the commenters here, I have been working out, primarily aerobically, for over 30 years, so feel get a certain amount of 'feel good' emotions from reading this, but almost immediately wanted to say, yes, but strength training helps with the quality of life and maintaining function.
Sincerely, I have a strong bias against the world of strength training, being so gender-lopsided, too much inhabited by traditional men, but my aerobic work, when I am not including strength training into my routine, includes activities that require power and strength, the cross country ski machine and the rowing machine, respectively.
In the end, we likely get some benefits more from aerobic activity, and some aspects better from strength training, but in the end, both matter if one wants to maintain long-term well-being.
18
I listened to a neurosurgeon and researcher tell a 68 year old man with physical limitations that he could help his brain by walking for an hour at a pace of 60 steps per minute. When I tried it on a treadmill, I found that to be very slow and that at 3.6mph I was walking twice as many steps in a minute. If you can get up to 4mph, which is a brisk walk, you can exert yourself without jogging. BUT don't be rigid about metrics because treadmills and sidewalks vary. Simply moving faster than Progressive's "Flo" in her tv ad on her exercycle is beneficial for the heart and brain.
13
How fast (MPH) does a jogger have to run? What was the heart rate joggers needed to reach in order meet the "aerobic" target rate?
1
@John Booke There is a rule of thumb that works well for most people. With a brisk walk, a jog, a run, pretty much anything aerobic, you should not be able to speak a complete sentence when talking.
The idea being your level of cardio intensity gets to the point that you need a breath before you can complete the sentence. It works if you are in good cardio shape or out of shape, all ages, all heights and weight.
Rather than my simplification of this method of gauging cardio intensity google "the talk test." Or check this link out:
https://running.competitor.com/the-talk-test-the-worlds-easiest-training-tool_103413
Cheers.
9
@Max
Why not invest in a Polar Heart Strap get the app on your phone and work out at 70% for thirty minutes five times a week. How open is that? I do it on a stationary bicycle, rowing machine, eliptical, treadmill, schwinn airdyne, and of course walking. What I found as dangerous in that it brought about a heart attach at 73 was doing intervals going from 80% to 110% heart rate. It just seems the best practice is a heart rate of around seventy percent of max. For a 73 year old guy it would be 70% of a max of about 160. In cardiac rehab and that is exactly what they are doing.
As to diet change because of heart attach, now follow ketogenic diet heavy on fat (not trans) light on protein and no more than 20-30 carbs a day. At least I got rid of the chest pain, feel much better, exercise is much more enjoyable and lost 25 lbs which is pretty good at my age.
1
@Max the talk test is not accurate at all. I use a HRM for jogging and can carry on a nearly normal conversation at well over 160 beats a minute.
1
Like food, the conflicting "studies" may only confuse folks. Consider this NYTimes headline from a week ago, "Even a Little Weight Training May Cut the Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke."
But a few days later, forget that, it's aerobic exercise that is really the key.
Certainly, I understand the difference in heart attacks and stroke, but the of this study, but the issue remains: Articles that seemingly offer conflicting information. This is not helpful for those who want to begin or even understand how to begin to get healthy.
And sadly, it seems the NYTimes folks aren't even attempting to helping folks through the thicket of "studies."
Rather, the end of the article says it best: Doing some exercise is better than no exercise.
12
@profwilliams Yes, there are many conflicting studies, but I agree with your last statement, Doing some exercise is better than no exercise. :)
4
@AlexS
come on there is not contradiction in the studies. You just have to jnderstand whaqt is being studied. Improved longevity by avoiding cardiac events, or the replication of healthy DNA.
1
@profwilliams This is how science works. There are no magic wands. Perhaps the media should refrain from covering studies, since people get so confused?
1
It's been working for me I got serious about regaining a modicum of fitness at age 62. Now, ten years later after a three-year slack off, I can feel the positives returning. Fingers crossed.
7
Not mentioned in the article is how long the effects last. Will the benefits of years of aerobic exercise be lost if we stopped for a couple of weeks?
1
Children of Immigrants, Parents to this Boomer, went to work at 13, never going beyond the 8th grade, however I seem to recall the brevity of their wit gained through their experience in the World of Hard Knocks.
My Papa advised, "Keep Moving", which seems to be in accordance with this current essay.
My Mama informed, "Think Good Thoughts", which I have come to believe is more easily achieved through aerobic activity.
Following the Simplicity of their Life together is what keeps me want to Live a Long and Healthful Life.
"How You Keeping'?"
10
Yet another conflicting and therefore confusing report on yet another inconclusive study.
Weight training can Absolutely produce aerobic (telomeric) benefits if performed intensely enough.
Is the point of your publication of these articles to guide those who are inactive into doing the most beneficial activity? Because taken as a whole, they seem to guide the reader in many different directions. Recently you wrote about the benefits of weight training; perhaps it inspired readers to begin weight training; now you make them feel like they should have been running instead.
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@Full Name I really like the NYT, but this section is by far the most annoying and frustrating. It seems to contradict itself every other article.
I think you just have to do with what works for you, because no one really knows whether doing this or that will extend your life (in individual circumstances).
Exercise because it makes you healthier and stronger and better today.
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@John
Guys. Not complicated at all
You definitely need both.
There is ample evidence supporting. We should not be afraid of balance.
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@Full Name Human bodies are complicated; there is no definitive answer for all health issues across all people. If this upsets you, please do not complain in the comments section. Some of us like to read about health studies. I see each study like a small piece of a big puzzle.
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I hope so -- ice skating, exercise bike, dog walking for at least 90 minutes a day hopefully will keep this old guy moving for more years. And to be honest, I really look forward to my daily 90 minutes.
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