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Exercise Association of New Zealand (ExerciseNZ) Chief Executive Richard Beddie has welcomed new research from a team of evolutionary biologists and biomedical researchers at Harvard University in the USA that shows that people who live longer are most likely to be more physically active.

Presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), the work lays out evolutionary and biomedical evidence showing that humans, who evolved to live many decades after they stopped reproducing, also evolved to be relatively active in their later years.

The research, Taking it easy as you get older? Wrong, shows that physical activity later in life shifts energy away from processes that can compromise health and toward mechanisms in the body that extend it.

Advising that the exercise industry always knew physical activity was excellent for people’s longevity, something now confirmed by research, Beddie (pictured below) explains “the Harvard researchers have done their work. They hypothesise that people evolved to remain physically active as they age - and in doing so to allocate energy to physiological processes that slow the body's gradual deterioration over the years.

“This guards against chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers.

“The researchers say as people get older, it becomes even more important to stay physically active.

“Their paper is the first detailed evolutionary explanation for why lack of physical activity as humans age increases disease risk and reduces longevity.

“The body's response to physical damage, however, is essentially to build back stronger.

“This includes repairing tears in muscle fibres, repairing cartilage damage, and healing microfractures.

“The response also causes the release of exercise-related antioxidants and anti-inflammatories and enhances blood flow. In the absence of physical activity, these responses are activated less.”

Beddie urges that people must choose to exercise, doing voluntary physical activity for the sake of health and fitness.

He also highlights that physical activity levels have been decreasing worldwide as machines and technology replace human labour.

The researchers' advice is for people to do something and to try to make it enjoyable so will keep it up. Even small amounts of physical activity - just 10 or 20 minutes a day - substantially lower the risk of mortality.

Beddie points to World Health Organization guidance recommending that children and adolescents aged five to 17 years should do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

He goes on to say “physical activity of amounts greater than 60 minutes daily will provide additional health benefits. Adults aged 18 to 64 years should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity every week.

“But the key is start somewhere, once a week for 30 minutes is better than no exercise.”

Click here for more information on the Taking it easy as you get older? Wrong study.

Click here for more information on ExerciseNZ.

Main image courtesy of City of Moonee Valley.

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