Exercise Can Actually Turn Back Your Body’s Aging Clock

A new research approach entitled “Exercise as a Geroprotector: Focus on Epigenetic Aging” was recently published in the journal Aging. In this approach, led by Takuji Kawamura of Tohoku University, researchers reviewed existing scientific studies showing that regular exercise, physical activity, and sports can influence and potentially reverse epigenetic aging, which represents a promising opportunity to extend healthspan and improve long-term health.

What is Epigenetic Aging?

Epigenetic aging refers to changes in the body’s DNA that reflect how quickly a person is aging at the molecular level. It is measured using epigenetic clocks that analyze patterns of DNA methylation, a chemical change that can influence gene activity. Unlike chronological age, which simply counts the number of years lived, epigenetic aging provides a more accurate picture of how well the body’s cells and tissues are functioning. This process is influenced by various factors, including lifestyle, and has become a powerful tool for researching aging.

This perspective underscores that while general physical activities such as walking or housework offer health benefits, structured, planned, repetitive, and goal-oriented exercise routines appear to have a stronger impact on slowing epigenetic aging. Physical fitness, particularly high cardiorespiratory capacity, is also closely associated with slower epigenetic aging. The authors also discuss important findings from studies in humans and animals. In mice, structured endurance and strength training reduced age-related molecular changes in muscle tissue. In humans, several weeks of exercise interventions showed a reduction in biological age markers in the blood and skeletal muscles. One study found that sedentary middle-aged women reduced their epigenetic age by two years after just eight weeks of combined endurance and strength training. Another study showed that older men with higher oxygen uptake, an important measure of cardiovascular fitness, had significantly slower epigenetic aging.

The Influence of Exercise

These findings suggest that maintaining physical fitness delays epigenetic aging in multiple organs and supports the idea that exercise as a geroprotector benefits various organs. Research is also investigating which organs benefit most from exercise. While the focus has been on skeletal muscle, new findings show that regular physical training can also slow down the aging of the heart, liver, adipose tissue, and even the intestines. In addition, Olympic athletes have been found to have slower epigenetic aging than non-athletes, suggesting that long-term, intense physical activity may have a lasting anti-aging effect.

The authors call for further research to understand why some people respond more strongly to exercise than others and how different types of training affect the aging process in different organs. They also point out the importance of developing personalized training programs to maximize the anti-aging effect. Overall, the findings support the growing recognition that maintaining physical fitness is not only essential for daily health, but may also be one of the most effective ways to slow down the body’s internal aging process.