Aging is a simple fact of life that affects us all. The population of the globe is rapidly accelerating, and the proportion of people worldwide over 60 years of age will reach from 11% in 2006 to 22% in 2050. Furthermore, the acceleration of the population aged over 65 years surpasses that of any other age group. 

This increase in life expectancy comes with a price – an increased risk of developing age-related diseases. In fact, aging is the greatest risk factor for multiple conditions, including cardiovascular disease and neurological diseases. It is therefore vital that we understand the factors underlying healthy aging to maintain or even improve quality of life as we age.

‍

Causes of Aging

Simply put, aging is a function of progressive damage to the structures and activities of the body that eventually leads to pathological conditions and death. It is caused by a wide range of factors, including oxidative stress, glycation, telomere shortening, side reactions, mutations, and aggregation of proteins. It is the accumulation of these ‘deficits,’ the decrease in damage control and recovery over time, that underpins aging. Strategies seeking to enhance longevity are geared towards targeting these mechanisms and pathways.  

‍

What is ‘Successful Aging’?

Successful aging is a term that describes a multifaceted state of being, one which involves being free of disease and disability, living with good physical and cognitive health, and remaining involved in social and productive activities.

Scientists treat lifespan and health-span as two distinct concepts – lifespan being the total number of chronological years that we live, and health-span being the number of those years that we remain healthy and free from disease. That is to say, there is an important distinction between chronological and biological aging.

For many years, it was thought that the aging process was inevitable and that age-related diseases could not be prevented or reversed. Current theories in geroscience, however, suggest that aging is indeed malleable and that it is possible to alleviate age-related diseases and dysfunction while extending longevity.

‍

How Exercise Impacts Aging and Boosts Longevity

Healthy lifestyle habits that are ideally established in the early years of life and maintained throughout can impact longevity and the ability to reach old age.They can also improve quality of life in older adulthood. One such lifestyle habit is regular engagement in physical exercise. However, an important caveat is that it only increases the chances of successful aging once a minimum threshold level of exercise is met (about 150 minutes per week of vigorous to moderate intensity exercise).  

Older adults who regularly engage in physical exercise often conceive of themselves as having aged successfully, which can contribute to enhanced self-esteem and improvements in mental health. Also important is the fact that regular physical exercise is associated with decreased all-cause mortality, maintenance of health, improved physical function, and performance of meaningful activities -- all of which underpin successful aging. Exercise can also help prevent and control chronic diseases that negatively affect life expectancy and quality of life.

Research suggests that older adults with high levels of physical activity have double the chance of aging successfully over a decade compared to those with low levels of physical physical activity. Research has also found that the optimal amount and type of exercise to improve longevity is in line with the recommended amounts of leisure-time physical activity (activity performed outside of work and travel time). However, greater exercise intensity and duration enhances cardiovascular health and metabolism. Strength training should also be added to improve muscle mass and quality, both of which tend to drop as aging progresses.

‍

Summary

Aging is a complex phenomenon that is associated with a wide range of pathological conditions and mortality. Physical exercise can serve as an important aspect of an individual’s lifestyle to help improve health, wellness, and overall function to prolong health-span and enhance their quality of life well into old age.

‍

‍