by Physical Therapy SOAP Notes
A recent study showing that maintaining aerobic fitness through middle age could delay biological aging by 12 years underscores the benefits of incorporating even a modest exercise program into one's daily routine, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (March 11, 2008), shows aerobic exercise improves the body's oxygen consumption and its ability to generate energy, which, in turn, leads to the slowing and possible reversal of the inevitable decline of our body's function.
"If we, as a population, walked briskly 30 minutes a day, healthcare as we know it would change drastically in the United States," said Steven Tepper, PT, PhD, a professor of physical therapy at, among others, the University of Maryland and the University of Delaware.
"This study is particularly relevant because it shows a direct correlation between regular exercise and longer life expectancy," Tepper says, who has long studied the effects of 30 minutes of daily brisk walking or equivalent activity.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine study concluded that a regular exercise program can slow or reverse the loss of aerobic fitness—typical of behavior observed in middle-aged and retirement aged people—reducing the individual's biological age and prolonging independence.
A recent study showing that maintaining aerobic fitness through middle age could delay biological aging by 12 years underscores the benefits of incorporating even a modest exercise program into one's daily routine, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (March 11, 2008), shows aerobic exercise improves the body's oxygen consumption and its ability to generate energy, which, in turn, leads to the slowing and possible reversal of the inevitable decline of our body's function.
"If we, as a population, walked briskly 30 minutes a day, healthcare as we know it would change drastically in the United States," said Steven Tepper, PT, PhD, a professor of physical therapy at, among others, the University of Maryland and the University of Delaware.
"This study is particularly relevant because it shows a direct correlation between regular exercise and longer life expectancy," Tepper says, who has long studied the effects of 30 minutes of daily brisk walking or equivalent activity.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine study concluded that a regular exercise program can slow or reverse the loss of aerobic fitness—typical of behavior observed in middle-aged and retirement aged people—reducing the individual's biological age and prolonging independence.
