In a small Swedish study of overweight people in their late 60s, those who sat less while also following an exercise program had lengthened telomeres-protective “caps” on the ends of chromosomes that shield genetic data from becoming scrambled. Longer telomeres have been linked with lower risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
For six months, the Swedish study subjects tracked their sitting time; half also followed an exercise program. Telomeres lengthened only in exercisers who also shortened their sitting time. Though the researchers didn’t specifically link telomere length to longevity, they did hypothesize that, especially for older people, even short breaks from sitting might be more important than exercise for reducing health risks and extending life span.
For an exercise program specific to your problem, speak with one of our doctors at South Orange Chiropractic Center.
Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine.
