by Laurie Jackson

Created on: October 28, 2008

Aging slows down our metabolism, but speeds up our perception of time. Einstein would call it a biochemical inverse of E = MC squared. But an effective weapon against age related deterioration and decline is available for all of us. Exercise is the fountain of youth. By using the large muscles, increasing the heart rate-exerting physically against gravity-by walking, cycling, weight lifting, aerobic dance, team sports or anything active raises the heart and vascular system's ability to oxygenate the blood, which in turn, allows the muscles to add new cells. A bonus effect is at the cellular level, burning off all available energy from food, and after that making ATP for energy from FAT. When finished with vigorous exercise, the body rewards the brain with a surge of endorphins, creating a euphoric sense of well being. Exercise creates a positive feedback loop of exertion, euphoria, hearty appetite, sound sleep, and awakening to a surge of energy resulting in the urge to exercise. When the body reaches optimal condition or "fitness", the metabolism becomes "addicted" to exercise. The body gains stamina under stress, as well as better brain function, and often a happier disposition. Older people addicted to exercise don't complain of the aches and pains their sedentary counterparts constantly grumble about, but they have to watch for wear and tear on joints, and injuries due to over training.

But neglect exercise, and the body stops producing new muscle cells and oxygen carrying red corpuscles, and no longer needs to use ATP to burn FAT. So the body starts to store fat, lose muscle cells, and the "wind" (or aerobic capacity) decreases. Aging aggravates this by slowing cellular regeneration, and without exercise, the message to "speed up" is not delivered. Arthritis likes inactivity, and so does the mechanism that robs bone density. The phrase "use it or lose it" applies more and more to the aging body. Older sedentary people are easily winded as their heart muscles shrink and arteries become clogged. Blood pressure increases with weight gain in the belly. Such weight often causes a backache, and doctors often tell patients with the middle aged paunch: "The trouble with your back is your front." Diabetes can develop from eating too much without exercise. The body needs to exert, to work hard, or it just self destructs.

The good news: it is never too late to start exercising. Even the oldest, fattest and laziest of us will rejuvenate with slowly increasing exercise. Weight loss becomes a liberating side effect, and the addictive cycle of exertion, euphoria, healthy appetite, and sound sleep (which releases Human Growth Hormone or HGH) roll back the years both in appearance and in metabolic function. We can feel better than ever, despite getting older. We can't stop the clock, but if we push ourselves hard enough, we can slow it down. By maintaining a faster metabolic rate, we slow down aging, like Einsteins relativity theory applied to the body. The faster our metabolism runs, the slower the aging process.

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